University of the Free State Institute for Reconciliation and

Social JusticePresented at

Chiang Mai University July 2013

HISTORY

• 26 February 2008: Reitz video surfaced

• 27 May 2008: The UFS announced the closure of Reitz residence. The establishment of an Institute for Diversity (ID) (on the site of the closed Reitz residence) as a centre of academic excellence for studying transformation and diversity in society was also announced.

• 30 July 2008: The Reitz residence was officially closed.

• 16 October 2009: Inauguration of the new Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, Prof. J. Jansen: “ Firstly, the university will become a place that exemplifies the scholarship and the practice of reconciliation, forgiveness and social justice. Scholars and students from around the world will descend on the institution to study and understand the theory and practice of building community across the divides of race but also religion, gender, dis/ability, national origins, tribes, etc...

• Launch: 17 February 2011: by Bishop Tutu

4 AREAS OF WORK

• Critical conversations and public lectures• Higher Education Transformation• Human Rights Desk/ Dialogue facilitation function• Research

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONSAND PUBLIC LECTURES

OBJECTIVES

• Developing vibrant intellectual culture on campus

• Dialogue and critical engagement

• Exploring social justice and reconciliation as political and academic operational terms and dispositions that contribute to curriculation, teaching and learning, research and the transformation of the university across disciplinary boundaries

HIGHER EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION

Main Question:

How can the Institute serve the transformation agenda of the UFS?/ How can the UFS contribute to HE transformation in South Africa?

• Transformation report• Integrated transformation plan• Scholarly work on Transformation

THE HUMAN RIGHTS DESK

AND

DIALOGUE FACILITATION FUNCTION

• Investigate human rights complaints• Promote culture of human rights on campus• Facilitate difficult discussions• Scholarly work on human rights

RESEARCH

Framework:

Shared complicities; mutual vulnerabilities and democracies of proximities

 M DEGREE IN

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION STUDIES

• Design phase completed• Mapping for international and regional comparison• Start date: Jan 2014

RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Reitz Book Series (2012-2013):• Book 1: ‘Reconciled Diversity: Young South

Africans in Conversation with Allan Boesak’• Book 2: ‘Living with Difference: Transformation and

the Quest for Reconciliation’• Book 3: ‘Researching ‘reconciliation’ and ‘social

justice’ in South Africa today’• Journals/ Journal articles/ Book chapters/ Occasional

Papers• Research projects (national and international)• Archives, Exhibitions, Databases

STUDENT AND STAFF ENGAGEMENT

• 5 levels of students engagement– Volunteers– Intellectual Apprenticeship– Office assistants (human rights work ,etc)– Research assistants– Discussion groups

• Staff engagement across faculties

T: 051 401 9111 info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za