Embracing Dialogue: South Africa’s New Path to Violence Prevention

In the wake of President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement regarding South Africa's fresh multi-party executive, the nation is poised to embrace a methodology proven effective by the Violence Prevention Forum (VPF) in addressing systemic societal issues like violence. The President's commitment to engage a broad swath of stakeholders through a national dialogue aligns with the VPF's practice of fostering meaningful conversations to spur positive change and cohesion.

Established in 2015, the VPF became a crucial collaborative platform facilitating dialogue between government entities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and researchers. Initially challenged by power disparities and distrust, the VPF has significantly evolved towards a model of shared knowledge, informed policy, and robust violence prevention mechanisms, exemplified by its recent evaluation by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

The ISS study revealed that the VPF's success rested largely on its unique meeting methodology, prioritizing relationship building and deeply listening to stakeholders across sectors. Embracing South Africa's complex history, the forum leveled power hierarchies, enabling diverse voices to equally contribute to discussions and extending beyond the pursuit of consensus to meaningful partnerships and solutions.

This egalitarian approach enabled government officials to gain insights into effective violence prevention interventions, fostering increased consultations with and contributions from researchers and NGOs. Equally, researchers and NGOs acquired an expanded, more nuanced perspective on each other's roles and challenges, fueling collaborative initiatives like the South African Parenting Programme Implementers Network.

The VPF has substantiated that dialogue built on respect, empathy, and understanding—key ingredients in the envisioned national dialogue—can constructively address South Africa's challenges. By highlighting the interconnectedness of structural and interpersonal violence and the legacy of intergenerational trauma, the forum has set a precedent for how to best utilize evidence in practice and policy formulation for violence reduction.

The national dialogue initiative, inspired by the VPF's work, offers an opportunity to replicate and sustain this approach. This process should not be episodic, but rather an integral, ongoing endeavor for systemic transformation, fostering a shared understanding and collective sense-making among all stakeholders, and ultimately contributing to a more peaceful, unified South Africa that aligns with the vision and pride of its people.