TRAC is a non-profit land NGO, working to support rural communities and campaigning for land reform and redistribution.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established in terms of the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act , No 34 of 1995, and was chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It was a court-like restorative justice body was assembled mainly for the victims of violence during Apartheid, but also hearing the testimonies of perpetrators of violence who were seeking amnesty.

The Commission presented the 5 Volumes of its final report in 1998.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) was a broad anti-Apartheid movement, which incorporated organisations such as churches, civic associations, trade unions, student organisations and sports bodies, to fight Apartheid inside South Africa.

In the year 1955 the American Friends Service Committee held a conference at Haverford College, to examine the value of two-way exchanges between the Union (of South Africa) and the United States, to determine the most effective type of exchanges, and to explore the organisational and financial resources for carrying out such exchange programs. South African leaders were approached with the intention of finding people with a similar commitment to problem-solving by international contact. The South Africans were interested, and plans were made for the creation of an organisation that would co-operate in bringing together leaders from various ethnic and political groupings in the two countries by means of exchange visits. The organisation was founded in 1957 with the name USSALEP (United States-South Africa Leadership Exchange Program: later renamed the United States-South Africa Leader Development Program) and in December 1957, the African-American Institute agreed to add USSALEP to its existing projects. In 1960 USSALEP separated from the African-American Institute and became an independent organisation a private, voluntary, non-profit corporation. Over the next half-century large numbers of leaders and potential leaders from South Africa and the United States benefited from exchange visits, cultural contacts, conferences and training opportunities arranged by USSALEP. Exchangees were encouraged to travel and meet people who could assist them in gaining insight into their countrys problems and possible solutions. As well as the exchange visits, conferences were arranged and various training and empowerment projects were launched (See B: History of USSALEP)

Leading South African law firm.

The Kairos Foundation (Stichting Kairos) was founded in 1970 as a support group for the Christian Institute in South Africa, whose general secretary was anti-apartheid activist Dr CF Beyers Naude. Kairos, a Greek word, means 'time is running out'.

The origins of Wits University lie in the South African (Kimberley) School of Mines established in 1896. The School was relocated to Johannesburg as the Transvaal Technical Institute in 1904 and renamed the South African School of Mines and Technology in 1910. It changed its name four times before becoming the University of the Witwatersrand in 1922.

Today the School of Mining Engineering at the University of Witwatersrand is recognised as one of the largest mining engineering programmes in the world.

The YCS was an international movement, which embraced Christian values of love, justice and peace. It was an ecumenical Christian student movement operating in parishes, schools, seminaries, universities and other higher education institutions. It had its origins in the Belgium Catholic Church at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The YCS was started in South Africa in 1959, initially as a parish for younger school goers who were members of the Young Christian Workers. The main aim of the YCS at this time was to ‘Christianise’ the schools and universities. From 1965, it also began to focus on high schools. Its activities were centred around get-togethers, rallies and groups who looked critically at youth culture and education. Actions focused on: charity, parish work, and challenging values at schools.

In the mid 1970’s the YCS became an independent non-racial movement in South Africa. It united the students who are found in high schools, universities, churches, seminaries and other tertiary institutions. YCS was involved alongside the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) in helping to set up democratic structures for representation in schools by mobilising Christian students to support demands for an Student Representative Council and for free and equal education.

In the 1980’s the YCS ion became actively involved in the national liberation struggle by working with workers and participating with other emerging progressive organisations in student and community campaigns such as school boycotts or strikes. In 1985 YCS delegates to the South African National Youth Council participated in the International Youth Year under the banner of “Participation, Justice and Peace”. During 1987-1988 the movement extended rapidly in tertiary institutions and initiated the first national campaign that aimed at making a broad impact of prophetic theology on Christians.

The YCS committed itself to: the poor, liberation and non-racialism. The movement used the See-Judge-Act (Action-Reflection-Action) method to do social analysis aimed at addressing the needs and interests of the poor and to practice their pedagogy.

Its meetings were organised and run in small groups, regional teams (in the provinces) and national teams. The YCS National Council was held annually and regional delegates drew up programmes of action for the following year. It also elected the National Team, which was responsible for implementing its goals.