Within the partnership between City of Johannesburg and the Creators of Peace program, we continued to reach women in different regions across Gauteng province. The Pioneer Skills Centre in Rosettenville welcomed us from the 30th May to 1st June 2018 to a group of fifteen women. Rosettenville is situated in the inner-city of Johannesburg, near the famous race course named Turffontein. The area used to be occupied mainly by the Portuguese community and later it became an area consisting of Africans, Coloured's and foreign nationalities. When we drove in we all picked up a scary feeling passing drug addicts and unemployed men who sat in the corners of dumping areas and dilapidated buildings. This area, with its challenges, changed from a classy rich man’s area to a poverty stricken area.

In South Africa, the Creators of Peace team’s vision is to ‘heal our nation through story sharing’. The mission is to embrace and nurture a continuing journey of inner healing in different communities to impact our nation positively and responsibly. From the 23rd to 25th May 2018, a group of eighteen young women from Diepkloof, spent the three days together at the Comprehensive Centre, east of Soweto, Johannesburg.

Having to face one's fears and given the opportunity to be authentic was fearful yet rewarding for participants. Through introspection, though painful, a new direction was found. Rudolph, one of the participants said, “For the first time I shared the hurt that I’ve been carrying for such a long time.  I never thought that I would and I even allowed myself to be vulnerable within. After this emotional awareness time I feel a burden is lifted off my shoulders.” Enjoy the full read of the Creators of Peace Circle with a group of seventeen men and women from the 16th to 18th June 2018.

New President for IofC International
Suresh Vazirani from Mumbai, India was unanimously appointed by Global Assembly of the International Association as the new President for IofC International. He is the founder and Managing Director of TransAsia/Erba group, India’s largest multinational medical diagnostics company, which is based on the principles of integrity, trust and transparency and exports high quality medical instruments to over 100 countries.

Ennerdale is a racially and cultural mixed community where sisterhood is needded.  It faces daily challenges of drugs, teenage pregnancies, crime, unemployment and disunity.  However Osizweni - Cradle to Career, is an NGO offering services of a primary school, feeding scheme and food gardening to the community to address social needs and skills development with the hope to build a better future for all – whether privileged or not. 

Ivory Park that is situated, East of Johannesburg, the women daily face challenges that take away hope of any positive outcomes in their lives. This is because the community is full of sarcastic and negative people coming from broken homes and all they can give is pain and frustration. This leads to demotivation and people lacking in courage. Through our conversations they realised that they are more than their mistakes.  They opened up to understanding and self care.  These women live within conflicting situations such as Fights and verbal challenges however the sessions allowed a new perspective - that conflict is an opportunity to build and not destroy relationships. Kuhle, one of the participants said, “I see now that I am a creator of my own problems by my mistakes and I am a creator of my own solutions by learning.”

The Social Development - Young Woman Department of the Municipality of Johannesburg in the Johannesburg East of Johannesburg region called Ivory Park, welcomed the Creators of Peace team to assist them with the quest for inner healing. The group consisted of 12 women between the ages of 20 and 35 years and two toddlers.  We gathered at a community centre based in the same complex as the community Clinic named Hikhensile, which means “thank you” in Xitsonga, one of the official languages in South Africa” and the dominant language in this area.

The Ladies of Hope Organisation in Ennerdale, Johannesburg South, opened their doors for the Creators of Peace Circles to equip12 volunteers (three men and nine women) and give guidance with the journey of self discovery and how to be the peace-builders they aspire to be. The participants came from backgrounds of rejection, orphanages, substance abuse and crime prone environments. As the Peace Circle unfolded the participants become more interested in developing self respect and love. “I never realised that I still had the anger within me but thanks to Peace Circles I now start the journey of dealing with it so I can have peace within myself,” shared Chantel, when exploring the Inner Peace gathering point. Peace is the journey we are all on and one we need to give to others.

Braamfischerville is a 19-year old developing community with the majority of its residents being South African from different provinces of the country plus refugees from surrounding Southern African countries. They have come to Gauteng province (meaning ‘A Place of Gold’) in search of work in old mining areas. This community faces crime, lack of service delivery, rape and substance abuse.Debating the subject of what peace is, the group concluded that individual peace is a journey. Awareness of blind spots to finding peace and change in their characters helped them see how they can become motivated, tolerant, assertive and sympathetic. Zanele, a participant said that studying the “qualities of a peace creator helped me understand myself more.”

“Forgiveness brings Inner healing and freedom”Creators of Peace was invited from the 11-13 April 2018 to Braamfischerville, Johannesburg to facilitate a Peace Circle with a group of young ladies. These women explored their understanding of Peace and Inner Healing. They wanted to learn how to find self confidence and deal with anger, forgiveness.