ACTION Support Centre (ASC) Peacebuilders' Blog

Limpopo Province, South Africa

By Samantha Evans

Building on the success of previous workshops in Gauteng, ACTION’s Schools Anti-Xenophobia Workshop was extended to Limpopo Province on the 4^th and 5^th of March 2011. The workshop was attended by 196 learners drawn from 14 schools. Due to the pressing time constraints of the schools involved, ACTION condensed the original workshop format from five to two days, ensuring the learners gained the same valuable knowledge whilst not detracting from their habitual study. In keeping with ACTION’s emphasis on learning and self-reflexivity, lessons learnt from previous experiences were incorporated into this workshop in an effort to ensure the learners gained as much as possible from their participation. Valuable information was also gathered from this Limpopo phase and will make important contributions to the efficacy of future projects.

 

The first segment of the workshop commenced with an overview of the history of xenophobia. This section is particularly important as it provides both background context, and subsequent developments, to the 2008 xenophobic violence. This historical recap illustrates that xenophobia is not a new phenomenon and that discrimination on the basis of being ‘foreign’ has targeted, and been used, by a wide range of nationalities. It was evident from the outset that the learners were largely unfamiliar with the concept of xenophobia and rarely read or watched the News. The Facilitators were keen to address this issue and the historical overview was a good start.

 

Intrigued by the perceptions of the learners and their knowledge base thus far, the workshop was valuable in giving insight into the learners’ thoughts and views. It also indicated the extent to which their opinions were influenced by their context- for example, familial or peer pressures. This was particularly illustrative when the learners were requested to give their own conceptions of the following terms: xenophobia; identity; prejudice; stereotype; peace; conflict; violence; assumption; value. The learners’ answers revealed any preconceptions regarding ‘foreigners’, negative or positive, as well as whether their opinion was derived from first or second-hand sources. It was clear that many impressions were not based on personal experience but ‘hearsay’. The exercises designed and implemented by the ACTION team proved very useful as they challenged the learners’ preconceptions and prejudices, revealing the importance of not prejudging people on the basis of inaccurate or incomplete information as well as allowing all those involved to appreciate the process of being self-reflexive. Knowing oneself is an important precursor to knowing and accepting others. Enabling the learners to recognise where their own opinions originate from is key to encouraging them to gain a more informed understanding of the issues at hand. By the end of the session the learners were more appreciative of the danger of forming prejudices based on hearsay.

 

Committed to improving planning and implementation of projects wherever possible, ACTION’s Facilitators gathered the learners’ expectations before, as well as their reactions after, the two day workshop. This monitoring is a valuable part of the process as it enables ACTION to assess the implications and effectiveness of the workshop in generating understanding of others and educating against discriminatory attitudes. Overall, the Facilitators were impressed by the learners’ approach to the Sessions; the learners responded with enthusiasm to the workshop and participated well. This can be accredited to the learners’ receptive attitude as well as the design of the workshop. A key strategic component of the workshop is to fully include the learners from the outset, for example by encouraging the learners to devise their own ground rules to adhere to over the two days.

 

A number of important areas were highlighted in the process of this workshop. From an implementation point of view, the Facilitation Team realised the importance of efficient communication, appropriate allocation of roles as well as consideration of the most appropriate means of thanking the Facilitation team- for example, potentially providing certificates in the future in addition to those for the learners. Reviewing the learners’ involvement, the Debate section of the workshop was identified as requiring attention. The Team found that little prior preparation had been done by the learners; they simply regurgitated many of the arguments and information from the anti-xenophobia exercises. While this is positive in that it demonstrates their absorption of the material, the area requires additional consideration as it is evident that the learners’ were not applying their own analysis and individualised consideration of the issues. The ability to be analytical and form their own opinions is an integral part of capacity building.

 

Overall, ACTION was pleased with the Workshop. It was much appreciated by the learners and they exhibited evidence of both understanding and applying the anti-xenophobia lessons taught. Valuable implementation insights were also gathered. ACTION would like to thank all those who took part for their role in its success.

 

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