The Justice Conference (Cape Town)

South Africa is a country in pain, the wounds of centuries of colonialism followed by the brutal system of Apartheid have left deep wounds that are only now starting to scar before they can start to heal.

Questions

The Justice Conference tried to address some of the questions our country is grappling with from a Christian perspective. What is racial identity? What does Jesus have to do with justice? How can we decolonise education? Which theologies have contributed to injustices in South Africa? These and many other questions were introduced at the conference. I say introduced because a two-day conference cannot give answers.

But that was not the purpose. On the contrary, the purpose was to ask questions. To challenge us. To not keep from speaking harsh truths.

It was confronting. But it was good. The speaker selection and the content were superb. So was the method by the way: the majority of all contributors were people of colour, and women led the majority of the keynotes and the conversations. In doing this, The Justice Conference led by example in empowering groups that have suffered under patriarchal and colonial systems and in many cases still are.

Needless to say that if you weren’t there this year, you should be at the next one.