“If I can just fix this …this small, small thing…then it can be better” Documentation, systemic violence and telling stories in South Africa
Between 2017-2019, myself and a colleague worked with a small group of women from across the African continent, now living in Johannesburg on an arts-based project entitled Mwangaza Mama.i Each Friday the group would meet to share breakfast, tell stories and work on quilt pieces that we were creating together. During these meetings the women would often talk about the everyday challenges of life in South Africa; of finding work, paying rent, covering school fees, accessing healthcare and staying safe in spaces of high criminality and violence.
Working towards a trauma-informed society : Reflections from Mike Abrams
“You need to understand trauma to be sensitive to it and then start looking at all your systems,” explains Mike Abrams, a facilitator from Hands On, who is running trauma-informed approach workshops with the Scalabrini Centre. These workshops have been exploring the impact of historical, collective and inter-generational trauma on collectives and organisations.
Through the workshops, Scalabrini is working to equip a group of people within the organisation – staff and peer facilitators – to understand what creates the intergenerational and historical trauma and look at how we can make the centre a more welcoming space – a space “which allows people to thrive and grow despite the pain and difficulty.”
A world in motion : Kari
Welcome to our A World In Motion series. The last two years have been a time when many people confronted the significance of mobility and borders – in our own personal lives and the lives of others. With much talk of people arriving in South Africa, it is also important to acknowledge that many South Africans move to other countries too. Our world is one that is in motion.
A world in motion : James
Welcome to our A World In Motion series. The last two years have been a time when many people confronted the significance of mobility and borders – in our own personal lives and the lives of others. With much talk of people arriving in South Africa, it is also important to acknowledge that many South Africans move to other countries too. Our world is one that is in motion.
A world in motion : Wandile
Welcome to our A World In Motion series. The last two years have been a time when many people confronted the significance of mobility and borders – in our own personal lives and the lives of others. With much talk of people arriving in South Africa, it is also important to acknowledge that many South Africans move to other countries too. Our world is one that is in motion.
