Scalabrini Centre Annual Report 2024
Invigorated by the impact of our organisational growth and planning process in 2023, we began 2024 with clear goals and a stronger sense of direction. As Director, I am proud of what we’ve achieved, together with the communities we advocated with and for, and our partners who stand with us in amplifying the voices of people on the move.
To remain relevant and effective, I believe we must continue cultivating resilience and creativity at every level of the organisation. At the heart of this is our Scalabrini team, the cornerstone through which we realise our mission. This year, we challenged ourselves through a leadership training programme that explored the influence of power dynamics and how people-centred leadership can unlock the potential in each of us. These conversations were not always easy, but they were necessary. In an environment shaped by increasingly complex challenges and negative public discourse around migration, from many different levels, we must equip ourselves to adapt and respond constructively. Leadership is not a matter of titles or positional power, but rather a way of thinking, relating and acting.
This year, we’ve also been encouraged by the growing presence and participation of the people who use our services. Whether through engagement on our social media platforms or through active roles in our committees and structures, our clients are increasingly shaping the direction of our work. The World Refugee Day 2024 event stands out as a powerful moment. Together, clients and staff co-created and co-hosted an event that saw Scalabrini’s hall bursting at the seams! The hall was transformed into a space filled not just with people, but with connection, community and a joint commitment to stand united for the rights realisation of people on the move.
This active participation and direction from the people we work with is central to our work. For the Scalabrini Centre to continue to render services and advocate for what people on the move experience as priorities daily. It is inspiring to witness the impact our Centre can have on people – they approach us initially as clients, but through trauma-informed engagements become agents of their own trajectories.
At the same time, we must confront the ongoing reality of an increasingly inaccessible asylum system and its repercussions on people’s ability to exercise their socioeconomic and often also basic human rights. While collective advocacy has successfully challenged some aspects of the proposed White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, the asylum system itself is nearly at a standstill. This has forced us, and other organisations, to turn to legal action to restore some of the fundamental refugee protection principles such as non-refoulement and non-penalisation.
The Scalabrini Centre remains at the forefront on key aspects affecting the fundamental rights of people on the move and will stand firm in its commitment to protection. Yet, in this process we do not want to lose sight of our vision for a welcoming South Africa, so we continue seeking dialogue with government and stakeholders to promote a constructive and collaborative approach.
I believe that our achievements this year; the many clients assisted, programmes delivered, events hosted and stories shared, are the result of a growing sense of community among Scalabrini staff and trust in our abilities to make a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of people on the move and the promotion of a human rights approach that is beneficial to all.
My heartfelt thanks to all who support this journey: our board of trustees, our donors, the International Scalabrini network, our local and international partners and most importantly my colleagues and their unwavering commitment to welcome each person approaching our centre.
Giulia Treves, Director
