South Africa

UMTAPO is a social justice organisation holistically engaged in promoting anti-racism, anti-sexism, anti-corruption, peace and socio-economic justice through popular education. Its philosophical framework is based on an ethical African humanism (ubuntu).

UMTAPO was formally registered as a non-profit organisation in 1987 and it channels its work of conscientisation through:
• Participatory Training Courses
•.Materials Development & Publications
• Community Awareness-raising Workshops
• Collective Mobilisation
• Partnership-building

In its day-to-day work, UMTAPO targets, in the main, students at educational institutions (schools and universities) and specific disadvantaged communities in some of the provinces. Its overall scope, however, is national as addressed through its public platforms for discourse, its publications, and its university student movement.

UMTAPO’s engagement in the struggle for social justice has included activities such as:
• Youth leadership Training Camps
• Women and Development Courses
• A Literacy for Liberation programme
• Peace, Human rights, and Anti-Racism Education
• Sexual Violence in Schools in SA (SeVISSA) project
• Democracy, Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Training Courses
• Promoting Ethical Leadership and a People’s Democracy
• A Child Safety & Protection project: Speaking Out against Sexual Abuse and Bullying in Schools
• The Steve Biko Transformative Education Project
(includes its engagement with institutions of higher learning, public forums & online publications)

To promote self-reliance and to ensure its ultimate elimination, UMTAPO has consistently set up local structures along its path, for example, PEACE CLUBS in Schools, the UMTAPO Student Movement at universities, and the UBUNTU Community Forums, People against Corruption Forums, UMTAPO Women’s Coalition, and Self-Help Projects in communities.

How long has your Organisation been operational?

1987

Is your Organisation a registered entity? If so, please list your registration details below for eg: NPO Number, PBO Number, NPC Number etc

Registered Non-Profit Organisation (024-294-NPO)
Registered Public Benefit Organisation (PBO No. 930027158)
Registered NPC (1987/000440/08)

Do you have a Wish List? If so, please post it below:

UMTAPO’s concern is the rapid downward spiral of the country particularly in terms of moral values which is depicted by the unprecedented levels of corruption and violence towards women and children. UMTAPO has been actively involved in building ethical leadership amongst young people at universities throughout the country as well as promoting Peace Clubs at schools. Like many organisations, UMTAPO is experiencing a severe financial crisis and may be unable to continue its work beyond 2020. Its wish is that government departments and relevant donor agencies will consider the value and impact of its work and provide the necessary support.

Where can we find your Organisation online? Please list links to your Website and Social Media Platforms here:

Website: www.umtapocentre.org.za
Twitter/Facebook: @UMTAPO86

Which Cause achievement are you most proud of? Feel free to elaborate on why and include any links:

Over the many years, there have been many achievements that UMTAPO has been proud of. Some of these at a national level, have been:

o In 1988, convening the 1st National Conference on Violence in South Africa under the title “Who’ll Stop the Killing?”
o In 1990, being the 1st organisation to conduct adult literacy classes at the hostels in Umlazi township in Kwazulu Natal
o In 1991, convening the 1st National Literacy Conference in South Africa
o In 1991, becoming the 1st South African organisation to be accepted as a member of the African Association for Literacy and Adult Education (AALAE) who had previously boycotted SA
o In 1992, initiating the launch of the SA Association for Literacy and Adult Education, a national network led by and for the oppressed peoples of SA
o In 1994, hosting the Assistant Secretary-General of the OAU at a Conference on the Black Family which led to the establishment of UMTAPO’s African Peace Education Programme
o In 1995, becoming one of the founding organisations of CIVICUS, the world alliance for citizen participation
o In 1997, being requested to host the CIVICUS Africa Secretariat which it did until 1999
o In 1998, becoming the Southern Africa focal point for the Hague Appeal for Peace in preparation for the World Conference on Peace in The Hague, Netherlands.
o In 1998, implementing an innovative African Peace Education Programme which later transformed into the Peace, Human Rights and Anti-Racism Education (PHARE) Programme
o In 2002, having the UMTAPO peace and anti-racism education programme officially included in the provincial agenda of the Mpumalanga Department of Education
o In 2010, having its PHARE programme, in particular, the establishment of Peace Clubs in Schools, officially adopted by the Eastern Cape Department of Education
o In 2012, developing through theory and praxis, a unique Model for Child Participation
o In 2014, initiating the unique Democracy, Human Rights and Anti-Corruption programme targeting young people in particular university students. This has become a key project focusing on building ethical leadership.

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