23 April 2013

INVITATION: Workshop series on teaching about the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission

INVITATION: Workshop series on teaching the TRC

The battle against forgetting: human rights and the unfinished business of the TRCSAHA would like to invite Grade 11 – 12 history educators to participate in a short series of mini-workshops on teaching about the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). 

Drawing on the SAHA publication 'The battle against forgetting: human rights and the unfinished business of the TRC' and the new SAHA / SABC Truth Commission Special Report web portal, the aim of this series of mini-workshops is to:

  • Empower history educators to critically examine the TRC and the role it played in healing South Africa and in nation-building.
  • Provide educators with a more in-depth understanding of the concepts, principles and workings of the TRC.
  • Build on educators' knowledge of the TRC through engagement with content and concept development, mastering skills of teaching, and exploring human values in order to promote a humane approach to teaching the TRC.
  • Introduce new teaching methodologies in order to develop sound principles of teaching.
  • Engage with a variety of different sources, including written sources, cartoons, film and witnesses' testimonies.
  • Examine the skills of essay writing in order to convey these to learners.
  • Explore the moral lessons that can be learnt from the TRC process and consider the ongoing implications of the unfinished business of the TRC.. Teachers will be encouraged to deal with topics sensitively in order to develop humane and aware learners.
This workshop series will take place in the Women’s Jail at Constitution Hill from 14h00 – 16h00 on the following dates:

Thursdays May 2, 9, 16 & 23.

There is no cost for participating in this project for the educators but it is important to note that participants would be expected to commit to attending the entire series (all 4 workshops) as each workshop will build on the learning of the previous workshop.

In order to make the most of each workshop, we request that participating educators be released from their duties at school in order to be able to travel to Constitution Hill in time to make the workshop starting time of 2pm each week. 

There is a limited number of travel subsidies available to educators from schools not based close to the Johannesburg CBD who are interested in attending this workshop series. 

If you would like to RSVP to participate in this event, please contact SAHA on 011 7182560 or info@saha.org.za.