Peace and reconciliation initiatives
Due to the state of political unrest and social upheaval in South Africa, and in KwaZulu-Natal in particular, various groups have over the years attempted to bring about peace and reconciliation through a variety of initiatives. The papers generated by some of these peace initiatives can be found at the Alan Paton Centre. The APC also holds the pamphlet for the unveiling of the Gandhi Memorial in Pietermaritzburg in 1993 (PC 145/12) and the Gandhi Centenary Conference papers (see Events).
The organisations concerned can be divided into different categories.
Organisations which were working on aspects of inter-group reconciliation and race relations were:
PC 5: Five Freedoms Forum (Pietermaritzburg), 1987 – 1994
PC 132: South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) (&19/3), 1949 – 1979
Organisations with a Christian backing:
- PC11 Pietermaritzburg Agency for Christian Social awareness (PACSA) 1979 – 1989
- PC21/4 National Initiative for Reconciliation – in 1985 – 1986
- PC21 Midlands Information Centre Resources Unit Collection 1985 – 1989
- PC80 Federal Theological Seminary (FEDSEM): J-Francois Bill Collection 1963 -1980
- PC80/2 Family Life Pilgrimage: J-F Bill Collection 1972 – 1974
- PC145/11 Church Ad Hoc Crisis Committee: Colin Gardner Collection 1989 – 1994
Organisations concerned with women and gender issues:
- PC92/2 National Council of Women (NCW): Else Schreiner Collection 1978 – 1989
- PC92/4 Women’s National Coalition (WNC): Else Schreiner Collection 1992-1994 (incl. Women’s Charter for Effective Equality)
Organisations concerned with a political solution:
- PC140/2 Buthelezi Commission: Deneys Schreiner Collection 1982 – 1984 (see also PC19/5 Grice; 126/2/3 Natal Room; 144/6 Webb
- PC142 KZN Indaba: Noel Desmond Clarence Collection 1986 (see also PC 19/7 Grice; 144/7 Webb)
- PC23 Multiparty Negotiating Council, World Trade Centre, Johannesburg 1993
- PC134 Greater Pietermaritzburg Local Government Forum 1992-3
- PC137 Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) 1991-2
- PC140/1 Conference of Constitutional Change: D. Schreiner 1978
Organisations concerned with solutions to political violence:
- PC19/2 Durban Committee of Ten: Grice Collection 1976
- PC53 Peace in Natal (PIN) 1990 – 1993
Other organisations:
- PC145/13 Amnesty International Pietermaritzburg: Colin Gardner Collection 1992-1997
