Schools Project 2025: Session 2, Stalwarts of Struggle

Monday 17th March saw the second meeting of the CTII schools project, at Erin Hall in Rondebosch.

We featured a number of “stalwarts of struggle” from South Africa’s past, including Mary Burton (Black Sash), Horst Kleinschmidt (Christian Institute, International Defense and Aid Fund), as well as the CTII’s own Mary Frost, Geordie Ratcliffe (director of Sustainability Matters), and Benjy de Kock, UCT Mandela-Rhodes Scholar. Most belong to Masibuyisane, a civil society group discussing and acting on current societal issues.

Sensitively led by Pippa Jones and Laurie Gaum, some 48 learners from 8 schools across the metro had time to interact with these elders in activism, and submit interesting questions to them around creating a life worth living, especially in the South Africa with so much still undone and where so many issues are still causing suffering.

While religion was not overtly central to the discussion at this event, the multi-faith learners were treated to an expansive view of the lives of people who responded to their consciences in a dark time and stuck with their convictions despite exile and imprisonment, for decades thereafter.

Savannah du Plessis, an invited observer, said “Enriching; I loved the way the students sparkled! To be in the presence of people who were and are absolute radicals was extremely inspiring and motivating.”