South Africa joined the movement in Ekurhuleni, with the country’s first Inter-Generational Dialogue, held at a precinct built in honour of Oliver Tambo.
On 17 August 2019, Global Peace, in partnership with the Ekurhuleni Municipality, hosted the first South African Inter-Generational Dialogue (IGD) at the O.R. Tambo Cultural Precinct.
The O.R. Tambo Cultural Precinct proved to be the ideal venue to host the Ekurhuleni IGD, as it embodies the pillars that Global Peace seeks to uphold. The Precinct was built in honour of the late Oliver Tambo, whose vision for the future of the youth in South Africa and whose contribution to its struggle for freedom is immeasurable. Built as a man-made wetland, conservation and education centre, and powered by solar panels, the space resonated with Global Peace’s values: building cooperation, tolerance and shared values; building inclusive economies; protecting and sustaining our environment; and sharing knowledge for human progress.
The dialogue proved robust and stimulating, with an interesting and diverse panel that had a wealth of information to share. Panellists included Advocate Sipho Gideon Mantula – Researcher at the Institute for Dispute Resolution in Africa (IDRA); Tamara Naidoo – Programme Manager for International Relations at Friedrich Ebert Stiftung South Africa; Advocate Modise Koetle – Youth Directorate in the City of Ekurhuleni; and Simphiwe Zuma – Vice President of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Sandton. The IGD focused on challenges of matching skills to job opportunities in the 4th Industrial Revolution among young people, the need for education reform to bridge this disconnect between opportunities and skills developed, and the need to address past traumas in the South African socio-political context for peace and development to be sustainable.
Special thanks go to the City of Ekurhuleni, particularly the Department of Culture and Heritage, for making the IGD possible through its support and sponsorship.
