december 2015

contentsIntroduction 3

Lookingaround,whatdidwelearn? 5

Lookingahead,whatdowesee? 13

Lookingback,whatdidweachieve? 17

ThanksfromtheAssociateCountryDirectorWendyLubbee 18

Poem 19

2

introduction“TheplanningandexecutionoftheOxfamAustraliaofficeandprogram closurehadanumberofkeymilestonestoensurethatwefinishour programwell.ThesuccessfulhostingoftheRe-visioneventswere notonlymomentousoccasionsinandofthemselves,butintheminds andheartsofthestaffandpartnersbroughthometherealityof OxfamAustraliawithdrawingfromthecountry.Asaresult,theevents weredeeplyemotionaloccasionswherestaffandpartnerscameto termswiththefactthatindeedOxfamAustraliaisleavingandwhatthat meantbothforthemselvesandtheirorganisations.Thereporttofollow isareflectionofthelearninganddoesnotnecessarilyreflectthe strongemotionsthatweresharedduringtheseevents.”

Wendy Lubbee, AssociAte country Director, oAu in sA

3

The Re-Vision events were held in November 2015. The initial plan was that

we would have one large ‘Link and Learn’ event with all partners but due to

circumstances beyond our control we were not able to do this and opted to

have three separate events. ‘Link and Learns’ have been an annual space for

reflection, learning and innovation for OAU and our partner organisations. OAU

used this well-known (and well-liked!) way of engaging with partners not only

as a way to celebrate the achievements, and partnerships and attain a sense

of closure, but to enhance relationship-building, learning and looking ahead.

Three events were held with partners around three different areas of focus.

In Cape Town (Western Cape Province), the focus was hate crimes; in Durban

(KwaZulu-Natal Province), livelihoods was the focus area; and in Bela Bela

(Limpopo Province), the event centred on the concept of ‘regaining ground’.

The overarching objecTives seT ouT for The re-vision evenTs Were To:

1

Reflect and celebrate the great work that has been achieved through the Oxfam-funded partnerships

2

Reflect on the current state of the development sector,

and their province in particular

3

Network, explore and deepen partner alliances

4

Explore how partners can collaboratively engage with other civil society actors

around government policies and processes, going forward.

This report seeks to reflect on the above objectives and to what extent they

were met, as well as draw out the main threads across and within the various

regional events. This report is based on: documenting from the events; a

participant survey through evaluation sheets; a staff survey; facilitator

reflections; and OAU Board and Oxfam affiliate feedback.

4

looking around, what did we learn?

As the first of the Re-Vision events, this discussion on hate crimes in South

Africa was aptly held at the District Six Homecoming Centre1. During and after

the session, many participants commented on how important this setting was

in cementing the conversations in a historical context.

The purpose of This re-Vision eVenT was: • Tocallattentiontothenarrativeofhatecrimesthrough bridgingthedividebetweenevidence-basedpractices andadvocacyissues;and• Toengageincriticalreflectionaroundexistingnationalhate crimelegislationandadvocacy,andlawreforminitiatives: itsimpact,promotingfactors,andcollaborativeeffortsto addressthesecriminalacts.

1 http://www.districtsix.co.za/

haTe crimescape Town

The three Re-Vision events had distinct themes and processes based on the key issue(s) of partners’ program/work in their respective regions. These were also designed to build on current policy-making processes nationally and provincially, as well as future areas for engagement, alliance-building, and solidarity. In this way, the themes and processes take on national significance in ‘re-visioning development’ and it was felt that it would be important to share ‘headlines’ from these various discussions across the partnership.

5

The partner event enabled the sharing of achievements and challenges faced

in working in the area of hate crimes, and allowed participants to deepen their

understanding on this challenge. This took place through key presentations

by organisational representatives, through video clips and an engagement by

participants with the ideas presented. Links were made between individual

experiences of hate crimes, community responses and organisational efforts.

2 This occurs when the victim is harassed when seeking to report a crime or access a service.

6

Hate crimes are defined as crimes that are motivated by prejudice or hatred,

based on the victim’s identity. These acts are directed at many different

people, for example, people with disabilities get targeted, as well as older

women who get targeted as witches. It is also a ‘message crime’ by conveying

to the wider community/society that a certain aspect of a person’s identity

will not be tolerated. For many victims of hate crimes, secondary victimisation

is a difficult reality2. Hate crime exists on a continuum and ranges from hate

speech to physical violence.

“ Hatecrimesaredefinedascrimesthatare motivatedbyprejudiceorhatred,based onthevictim’sidentity.”

“ Linksweremadebetweenindividual experiencesofhatecrimes,community responsesandorganisationalefforts.”

Two key forms of hate crimes discussed were those against Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer (LGBTIQ) persons and foreign nationals

(i.e. xenophobia). Currently in South Africa, a multi-stakeholder hate crimes

working group collects information on hate crimes.

These experiences were framed against contextual understandings of:

• Increased securitisation and masculinisation of politics at national,

regional and global levels;

• High levels of current violence in South Africa, linked to our violent

past; and

• The intersectionality of race, class, urban/rural location, and so on.

In considering crimes against LGbTiQ persons it was noted that:

• There was no category for hate crimes, hence statistics tell us very little

of what is going on;

• Hate crime legislation is being advocated for on the grounds that

legislation will help with accurate statistics, with early warning, and

will have a symbolic value of sending a clear message to society, as well

as establishing a normative way to respond to these acts. There is need

for a comprehensive inter-departmental state response to hate crimes,

and legislation may assist in pushing for this; and

• Responses by Oxfam partner organisations to hate crimes take the form

of direct assistance (with most energy placed here); awareness raising;

and advocacy and mainstreaming.

A key challenge is the need to attend to the roots of the problem and that the

work needed for this tends to fall outside of funding cycles, and of monitoring

and evaluating systems. Culture and religion were posed as systemic,

structural drivers of hate crimes, alongside and interconnecting with racism,

patriarchy, poverty and inequality. It was noted that there is need to challenge

the status quo in order to construct new ways of being and interacting. Power

needs to be challenged at all levels to enable transformation in every aspect

of life. All levels of privilege, including ‘whiteness’, need to be disrupted and

questioned in work on LGBTIQ hate crimes.

3 Operation Fiela‚ which means “sweep clean”‚ was launched by the inter-ministerial committee on migration after violence against foreigners broke out in April 2015. According to government‚ it was meant to rid the country of “illegal weapons‚ drug dens and prostitution rings”. Source: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2015/07/22/Operation-Fiela-demoralises-and-dehumanises-migrants

7

indiViduaL LeVeL

sysTemaTic LeVeLin

form

aL peopLe’s access To resources

peopLe’s consciousness

formaLinsTiTuTionsLaws, andpoLicies

norms and excLusionary

pracTices

awar

enes

s raisinG direcT supporT To surViVors

chaLLenGinG sTrucTures

formaL

ParTner resPonses To haTe crimes

WiThin The inTegraL frameWork

Source: Rao and Kelleher’s 2003 Integral Framework

adVocaTinG

for

haTe crime LeGi

sLaT

ion

Undoubtedly, the largest of the Re-Vision events, the discussions and

celebrations in Durban saw the majority of partners come together with staff

to deliberate on the critical question of livelihoods in South Africa.

The main aim of This re-Vision eVenT was:• ForOAUpartnerstosharetheirknowledgeandexperience onlivelihoodswithpeersinastructuredlearningevent.

This was done from multiple angles throughout the course of the day, namely:

plenary presentations; partner led group discussions and presentations; video;

and a celebration dinner. During the course of the event, a number of issues to

take forward, in thought and action, were highlighted:

• In South Africa, although access to services has increased dramatically

since apartheid, income distribution has remained unchanged.

• Inequalities are built into livelihoods in South Africa.

• A critical question raised which the group grappled with throughout

was around the role civil society play with regards to poverty, inequality

and livelihood systems. This remains something to think through for all

civil society organisations.

• Human agency is critical to bring about positive change in livelihoods.

• It is important to have individualised approaches to working with beneficiaries.

LiveLihoodsdurban

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In considering xenophobia, it was further noted:

• While migration has taken place from time immemorial, currently migrants

are ‘othered’ and under attack;

• South Africa has good laws in place but there have been challenges at

levels of interpretation and implementation;

• Xenophobia is evident among state players – as with the terminology within

‘operation fiela’3 and the xenophobic statements of political leaders which

fan attacks against foreign nationals;

• Refugee communities under attack in 2015 stood up and organised a march

to protest the attacks against them with support from some South African

organisations – this was different from the attacks in 2008 where the

foreign national community were less actively vocal and organised;

• Awareness and education is taking place through, for example,

documentaries; and

• A proactive approach is needed

Ultimately, organisations need to work in partnership in order to address

the complex reality we face. Those affected by hate crimes need to be

supported in self-organising to address these crimes. Government needs to be

challenged, and institutions like the South African Human Rights Commission

and Parliament need to be lobbied for both policy and ‘on-the-ground’ changes.

• although difficult, and at times contradictory, it is important for civil

society organisations (csos) to build relationships with government.

• There is more impact if things are done collectively.

• CSOs need to have diverse roles such as holding government to account

and creating formal partnerships on specific issues.

• Many challenges were noted such as difficulties with payment, and lack

of delivery.

• south africa has a comparatively smaller informal economy compared to

other developing countries.

• There is a complex interplay between individual motivation and

agency, with structural factors which work against informality such as

police suppression and spatial inequality.

• A discussion was had on entrepreneurship and young people reflecting

on whether, given the difficult socioeconomic circumstances,

young South Africans are hopeful or apathetic. While it is often cited

that entrepreneurship is low in South Africa, the resourcefulness

witnessed in many communities cannot be ignored.

• Civil society organisations should give more support informal

economy activities .

• There is a need to challenge the private sector more, although this

is difficult.

• Strategies should be developed for challenging the private sector,

for example forming coalitions to have a more powerful voice.

• Acknowledge that the private sector holds a large amount of funds

for development.

• There is the need for more income generating projects at community

level, as well as reforming the wage-labour relationship.

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• There are multiple ‘capitals’ that need to be engaged in order to

successfully impact an individual’s livelihood as per the following diagram:

susTainabLe LiveLihoods inTervenTion designs

susTainabLe LiVeLihoods

soci

aLps

ycho

LoGic

aLKnowLedGe

naTuraL

human

cuLTuraL

financiaL

enVironmenTaL

physicaL

Adapted from Nengovhela (2011)

• The system itself is unequal and perpetuates inequality.

• There is the need for self-awareness, critical understanding and

collective action.

• A power analysis is required to create an awareness of entrenched

power dynamics.

• There are different ways to support active citizenship, which is always

a complex and unpredictable process.

• CREATE has had both positive and negative experiences with different

arms of government. Save the Children seeks to work with all levels of

government. Biowatch advocates using evidence based research to

engage government structures.

• The role of the CSO was discussed and it was reiterated that at a

community level, the CSO acts as an intermediary/facilitator, while at

a government level, the power of communities must be retained along

with a solutions orientation to the problems experienced.

• Other pointers for CSOs are: alignment with government policy; a

balance in terms of independence; use of existing public platforms;

an understanding of government performance frameworks; and a focus

on working with the willing.

• There are many alternative livelihoods options that partners

are supporting.

• Examples of these include Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust’s work with

crafters, and Siyavuna’s work with emerging farmers.

• Key issues here are access to markets, branding, and building business

skills, among others

• poor quality education and a shrinking formal economy makes youth

unemployment one of the most critical concerns in south africa.

partners are responding in a variety of ways but the main focus has

been on skills development and employment.

• Consistent guidance and psychosocial support is essential.

• Building and maintaining relationships with employers, albeit

challenging, is necessary.

• Continual learning and innovation is key, for example reflecting on

whether CSOs should be broadening our interventions to be both

employment and entrepreneurship focused.

• The importance of working together as CSOs and being aware of other

programs/opportunities youth could access was emphasised.

• There was disagreement among CSOs over how involved young people

should be in program design.

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The final Re-Vision event started on a hot Limpopo day at the HIV/AIDS

Prevention Group (HAPG) clinic in Bela Bela.

The specific objecTiVes of This re-Vision eVenT were To:• Shareoursuccessandwhatweascivilsocietyhave achievedtodate• Examinethecurrentcontextwithintheprovince• Reflectonthesuccessesandchallengesemergingfrom realworldexamplesfromtheprovince• Engageindiscussionastohowwecanregainsomeofthe losses,especiallyrelatingtohealthandHIVintheprovince• Engageindeeperconversationonhowwemoveforward asanetworkoflike-mindedorganisations

The environment could not have been more grounding or more appropriate.

The 2 days spent with the Limpopo partners and friends, were ones of deep

personal reflection and sharing. There were a number of points raised by

partners to take forward within their organisations and in their communities,

as well as between one another:

• community ownership is key.

• The importance of this way of working was emphasised throughout

the sessions, but most especially in the exploration of the work the Bela

Bela community have undertaken.

• It was agreed that this is a critical way to ensure sustainability.

• The importance of the role of people within development should not

be underestimated.

• In the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector, for example, Thusanang

Trust shared how you can give the same training to everyone, but people

will take knowledge and skills, and apply them differently.

• In deeper discussions, trying to understand and manage personal

vulnerabilities was highlighted. Many of the challenges experienced

by partners were at the personal/individual level.

• Poor leadership in all sectors emerged as a critical issue.

• The changing nature of the hiV/aids and Tb challenges in south africa

was evident.

• The health and social implications of the pandemics have made the

development landscape much more complex.

• The presentation by Dr Njeka from the Department of Health noted that

the 4 main health problems in the country are: the ‘twin diseases’ of

HIV/AIDS and TB, high maternal and child mortality, high levels of

violence and injuries, and growing non-communicable diseases like

diabetes, hypertension etc.

regaining groundbeLa beLa

11

• Underlying this are the issues with the general health system, such

as poor management, misuse of the referral system, politicians deciding

on budgets, and so on.

• The latest statistics across the country on HIV/AIDS and TB demonstrate

that we have passed the peak incidence rate. The country has done well

with biomedical interventions (treatments) but more will be needed to

prevent transmission.

• The UNAIDS investment framework was presented in connection with the

90/90/90 targets4. Within this, rigorous discussions were had on the

‘test and treat’ approach which would drastically reduce transmission

but has risks of drug resistance through possible poor adherence.

• Limpopo has one of the lowest incidences in terms of HIV, with KZN

being one of the highest.

• Government policy versus implementation

• In many instances, government has good policies but implementation

is not done accordingly, resulting in challenging foreseen and

unforeseen implications.

• The Limpopo Province was under administration for 4 years and has

recently (2014) moved back to provincial control. This has implications

for governance and there is a sense that the departments may be

underspending for fear of wasteful expenditure.

12

• The need to work more closely, together as civil society organisations,

in Limpopo.

• The fault does not only lie with government. In many cases CSOs tend to

be competitive, territorial, and ‘don’t want to rock the boat’ when it

comes to government and other funders.

• The difficulties associated with partnerships, as well as the fact

that currently civil society is not very organised within the province,

were recognised.

• Collaboration was recognised as an important approach to take ‘post-

Oxfam Australia’. Various techniques were discussed, such as educating

and building relationships with other donors, as well as developing

strategic partnerships with other CSOs.

4 The 90/90/90 targets have been set by UNAIDS in an effort to help end the AIDS epidemic. As per the UNAIDS website, “By 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status. By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy. By 2020, 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.” Source: http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2014/90-90-90

Although each of the Re-Vision events was distinct in its design, content, atmosphere and participation, there were a number of threads which ran through all of them. Firstly, the appreciation, and of course celebration, of the work of partners with OAU was undeniable. Many words of encouragement and thanks were shared.

looking ahead, what do we see?

“ OAUhaslearntmuchmorefrompartnersinSAthan you’velearntfromus.”

oau, ct “ ThankyoutothewholeOxfamteaminRSAformany greatyearsofworkingtogether.”

ParTner, DurbAn

“ [OAU]broughtmorethanmoney–theexchangeof ideas,theirwisdomandknowledge;theirlearning; senseofhumour...it’sbeenanabsolutejoy.”

ParTner, ct

“ As we deliberate here, we have enduring memories of the great moments of service among the South African communities that we served with passion and compassion. I feel, nowhere was the spirit more lively than in us. We exuded the spirit of love, caring and enterprise in spite of odds.”

oau, DurbAn

13

For many participants, this celebration had difficult and emotional

moments which are a testament to the strong bonds formed between these

organisations and the people that made this great work a reality over the years.

This leads into the second main thread across the Re-Vision events – that

of partnership. Indeed, ‘collaboration, collaboration, collaboration’ was

emphasised in a variety of ways across the regions. In the discussions on

hate crimes in Cape Town, the need to work together on complex issues was

recognised. Partners not working directly with LGBTIQ persons and foreign

nationals, for example, were urged to look beyond their own reach, and

connect with others. The Gay and Lesbian Network from Pietermaritzburg

also shared how one of their strengths in dealing with hate crimes has

been through partnerships, for example, partnering with others on issues

like disability, as well as serving on platforms like the hate crimes working

group. This was built on at the Durban discussions on livelihoods in a variety

of ways. In group discussions on active citizenship, participants reinforced

‘the power of a collective’, and there were numerous partner presentations

which highlighted partnership in their work, such as Siyavuna, who works

with emerging farmers and farmer associations and argued that networks

are key to their success. In a separate discussion on youth and livelihoods,

the Wilderness Foundation, through their Umzi Wethu program, expressed

the same sentiments. However, participants also recognised the difficulties

of working in partnership and that in many instances organisations still

work in dreaded (but much talked about) silos. This nuance was not lost

on the Limpopo Re-Vision participants who reflected that while civil

society organisations are not currently organised in the province, it would

“ Intheprocess[oftheevent],Oxfam Australia reaffirmed its presence as a partner-in-development, a practice which is not the norm for INGOs (International Non-Governmental Organisations) working in South Africa...”

faciLiTaTor, DurbAn

“ Thisisourwaytowrapuptheworkwehavestarted withyou;foruswehaveseenthepartnershipswehave formedovertheyearsandthegrowthinthework;we haveseenyouasorganisationsgrow;wehaveseen thechanges–beautifulandinspiringchanges.”

oau, belA belA

“ Thisfeelslikeclosingbutthereisalsohope;it’snot reallyending,wearemovingforward...”

ParTner, belA belA

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be important to connect. Some of the benefits discussed include shared

responsibility, additional support, and greater potential opportunities. In terms

of providing a space for building partnerships, overall 73% of participants

across the Re-Vision events indicated that they were able to deepen alliances.

However, some participants did find that they were not able to do so (15%)5.

These were predominantly at the KZN event where it was found that the day

was very full and there was not much time to do so. Nevertheless, across the 3

events, partners did acknowledge a number of potential opportunities. When

asked what their organisations could take away from Re-Vision in terms of

partnerships, they recognised a number of future possibilities as follows:

Reflections from the OAU Board representative and the affiliate representatives

from Oxfam Germany also reiterated how the OAU-SA partnership approach was

tangible during the Re-Vision events:

“ TheSAprogramapproach was close to ideal in terms of relationships...the mutual relationship was felt [at the event]...”

oxfam germany, ct

“Itbecamereallyclear...thattherelationshipwasnot thenormaldonor-partnerrelationship;therewas somethingcompletelydifferent...They[thepartners] describedusasanhonestfriend.Whenthingswere difficult,ourteammemberswere people you could talk to, [and they] would help work a way through the challenges, and provide non-judgemental support... A positive, open relationship based on trust achieves much; the results will be limited where the relationship is not based on trust.”

oau board rePresenTaTive, ct AnD DurbAn

5 These figures were gathered from the evaluation sheets which were handed out at each event.

PoTenTiaL aLLiances / ParTnershiPs for The fuTure

2%OTHER

13%ENGAGING WITH GOVT. POLICITES

0%NONE

12%PROGRAM WORK

15%SOLIDARITy BUILDING

21%INFO SHARING AND EXCHANGE

23%NEW IDEAS

14%FUNDRAISING

15

This was summed up well in one facilitator’s reflection that the Re-Vision

events re-emphasised that “OAU’s strength is in their partners”. This was also

reflected by Oxfam staff and other facilitators who noted the camaraderie,

concern and mutual learning which took place at each of the events. OZA

was also provided with space at each event to engage with partners on their

thinking and strategies.

Building on this theme of partnerships, the strategies, challenges and benefits

of working with government were examined to varying degrees across the

Re-Vision events. From the CT discussions which analysed the postcolonial

state, to the conversations in Bela Bela on the province under administration,

this sharing gave some insight into the complexities of working with, and

influencing government. The ‘implementation gap’ so often begrudgingly

mentioned in development circles was outlined as a reality where policy and

practice do not seem to meet. The Re-Vision events also re-emphasised,

however, that collaboration is critical if we want to achieve widespread

sustainable changes.

Lastly, it is essential to draw out the critical and structural nature of many

of the conversations across the Re-Vision events which demonstrated a

broader and deeper approach to issues. This was first introduced during

the CT event where it was argued that power needs to be challenged and

privilege disrupted (including the privilege within the room). This was echoed

in different ways within the Limpopo and KZN events. The structures of culture,

religion, patriarchy, capitalism and white privilege were highlighted as critical

to unsettle. During the KZN event, there was a call for partners to go back to

a power analysis – the roots of the problem – in order to create meaningful

change. At the Limpopo event, the power relations between the community-

CSO and the CSO-government were discussed at length.

16

In summary, it is clear from the above that OAU in SA did achieve the objectives

set out for the Re-Vision events. Despite substantial challenges (and of course

not without hiccups), the team were able to provide partners with a space and

time that fulfilled a number of needs during this exit phase. At the Re-Vision

events, partners celebrated the great work achieved, and learnt from one

another by reflecting on the current state of the development sector, in their

province and nationally, while unpacking the different focus areas of hate

crimes, livelihoods, and regaining ground. In true ‘Link and Learn’ fashion,

partners were also able to reconnect with one another, deepen alliances, and

explore engagement on critical policy issues.

looking back, what did we achieve?

“ Intrue‘LinkandLearn’fashion,partnerswere alsoabletoreconnectwithoneanother, deepenalliances,andexploreengagement oncriticalpolicyissues.”

Change is never easy, but in the words of the indomitable Blessing Zama

(Company Secretary and Business Services Manager) at the Limpopo Re-

Vision event “We are down, but we are not out!”. This future orientation is a

testament to the OAU team in SA, as well as the strong partnerships. In this

light, it is hoped that this report provides a tool for further reflection and

engagement, as we continue to move forward.

17

On behalf of the Management team I would like to thank the staff for their

contribution in making the Re-Vision Link and learns such memorable events.

It was because of the individual contributions that each staff member made to

the Oxfam Australia South African program that we had so much to celebrate

and to reflect upon. It was because staff took the time to build strong

relationships of trust and mutual understanding with partners and service

providers that we were able to build a strong effective program within South

Africa which was flexible and able to adapt with the times.

To the Oxfam partners and their teams, thank you for the hard work and

dedication you showed in running your programs under sometimes very

difficult circumstances. We counted it a privilege to work alongside you

and to support your work.

We are truly thankful for the amazing legacy that was created for Oxfam in

South Africa and we should all be proud of what has been achieved together.

thanks from the associate country director wendy lubbee

“ Stafftookthetimetobuildstrongrelationships oftrustandmutualunderstandingwithpartners andserviceproviders”

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poem

Startclosein, don’ttake thesecondstep orthethird, startwiththefirst thing closein, thestep youdon’twanttotake.

Tofind another’svoice, follow yourownvoice, waituntil thatvoice becomesa privateear listening toanother.

Startrightnow takeasmallstepyoucancallyourown don’tfollow someoneelse’s heroics,behumble andfocused,

Startwith theground youknow, thepaleground beneathyourfeet, yourown wayofstarting theconversation.

Startwithyourown question, giveuponother people’squestions, don’tletthem smothersomething simple.

Startclosein, don’tmistake thatother foryourown.

Startclosein, don’ttake thesecondstep orthethird, startwiththefirst thing closein, thestep youdon’twanttotake.

sTarT cLose inByDAVIDWHyTE

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