The roots of the Koinonia movement lay in the South African Christian Leadership Assembly (1979) and in the meal groups organized by Dr Nico Smith, a Dutch Reformed minister, when he went to minister to a black congregation in Mamelodi in 1982. The Koinonia movement in South Africa began in Pretoria in 1986 when Dr Nico Smith challenged a group of concerned white Christians in Pretoria to initiate a movement that would bring about reconciliation between the alienated races in Apartheid South Africa. Koinonia South Africa came into being as a result of this challenge, and the Rev. Ivor Jenkins was appointed as its first full-time national coordinator. Initial funding came from the Swiss-based organization, Christian Solidarity International.

Koinonia is a Greek word meaning "fellowship" and this was the central tenet of Koinonia's mission - to encourage "fellowship" between white and non-white Christians. The effort centered on the "meal group" concept - small, racially mixed groups would meet in each others' homes to share a meal and thus begin to break down the barriers that had grown up between the races.

Theologically, Koinonia was predicated on the belief that justice, equality and reconciliation are central tenets of Christianity, and that each individual needed to be treated with dignity and respect irrespective of race. Politically, Koinonia was dedicated to the pursuit of a non-racial, democratic dispensation for all the peoples of South Africa.

The records in this collection reflect the workings of Koinonia throughout South Africa and abroad as it sought to achieve the following aims:

On the spiritual level, to integrate believers of all races into one body

On the family level, to promote the practice of fellowship and mutual support

On the leadership level, to facilitate cooperation between religious leaders of the different race groups

On the social-structural level, to explore non-violent means of effecting reconciliation

On the ideological level, to address the problems faced by the oppressed on the basis of Christian principles

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) was established during the Apartheid era as a non-profit organisation. It became a champion in supporting the rights of those who were oppressed by an unjust legal system and oppressive government. After the establishment of a democratic government in 1994, the LRC mandate extended to enforce the rights established in the new Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The project, which was managed by Vanessa Cooke, due to the depth of her institutional knowledge of the history of the Market Theatre, was supervised by Cynthia Kros, at the time Professor of Heritage Studies in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, and assisted by Carol Prestons.

The Medu Art Ensemble was formed by South Africa exiles in Gaborone, Botswana, in 1978. The organisation produced a wealth of creative work across all major art-forms; the roup further played a key role in shaping aesthetic and cultural theory and praxis within Africanist and liberation struggles. On June 14 1985, the South African Defence Force attacked the homes of Medu members and other activists in Gaborone, killing 12 people; Medu as an organisation ceased to exist.

Until 1975 the Industrial Aid Society (IAS) played a role similar to that of MAWU in Natal; in 1975 MAWU (Transvaal) was formed. The following year MAWU (Tvl) and the IAS consolidated their close working relationship by forming CIWW the Council of Industrial Workers of the Witwatersrand (CIWW).

From 1977 CIWW began to explore the possibility of wider unity, and for the next two years extensive discussions were held between the affiliates of CIWW and TUACC, the Natal-based Coordinating Council. Eventually in April 1979, FOSATU was formed (the Federation of South African Trade Unions).

From 2000 the name of the organization changed to Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council.

The National Progressive Primary Health Care Network (NPPHCN) is a national non-government organisation founded in 1987, to advocate for the implementation of a national health system for South Africa based on the principles of the Primary Health Care (PHC) approach. It consists of a group of health and development projects, health worker organisations and individuals who are committed to an idea of Progressive Primary Health Care or P.P.H.C.