Spotlight: South Africa’s Violence Prevention Forum extends its reach
Convened by the ISS, the VPF method and its programmes now reach national and provincial governments, schools and international networks.
Published on 30 October 2024 in
Impact
The national Violence Prevention Forum (VPF) is expanding its knowledge, skills and impact into South African provinces, government departments, schools and rural communities.
The forum is convened by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). Its aim since 2015 has been to bridge the divide between research, policy and practice, and enable the large-scale application of evidence on what works to prevent violence.
The VPF pioneered a methodology that promotes open communication, empathy, active listening and deep democracy. It flattens hierarchies and develops soft skills that bridge gaps between government, frontline non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and researchers.
‘Soft skills are essential and enable positive outcomes,’ says Gwen Dereymaeker, Director of the Violence Prevention Unit in Western Cape Province’s Department of Health and Wellness.
‘They are a fundamental building block of getting things done. Nurturing relationships, creating trust, building partnerships, and seeing challenges from other points of view are essential skills that the VPF has helped us develop. This has contributed enormously to our collective ability to deliver tangible results.’
After two years of consultation using VPF methodology, the Western Cape Government allocated R45 million over three years to the provincial Department of Social Development. The funds helped 15 NGOs implement evidence-based family strengthening and parenting support programmes. Guidelines and standards for these interventions were also developed. Eighteen months into the pilot, 2 500 families have already been reached in high crime areas.
Social workers are now able to assist families in multiple ways. ‘Parenting support is now recognised by the Western Cape Government and the broader global violence prevention policy agenda as part of a broad psycho-social care package which strengthens families,’ says Dereymaeker.
The provincial VPF was established in 2021 in response to demand from officials and activists who recognised the need to tackle endemic violence, and for dialogue and information sharing between sectors. They had seen how VPF methods made it easier for people to work together and understand research findings and policy.
‘The VPF has changed the way we work, sparking the powerful magic that happens when people understand each other and work together towards a common goal’
In the Western Cape, the VPF brings together government, academics, activists and NGOs to collaborate on long-term solutions to violence. It also collaborates with the minibus taxi industry, the gender-based violence sector and the faith community to disrupt cycles of violence.
The VPF way of meeting is crucial to its success, says Blanche Rezant, Deputy Director for Violence Prevention Implementation and Reporting in the provincial Department of Health and Wellness.
‘It is an unusual but very effective way to meet. The VPF model flattens hierarchies, gives everybody a voice, and generates strong relationships across sectors. The result is compassionate understanding and genuine collaboration between people who need to work together for violence prevention to succeed.’
Violence prevention was being done in silos and without collaborative relationships, says Rezant. ‘Now the VPF provides the dedicated space for information sharing and development of trust. It has changed the way we work, and sparked the powerful magic that happens when people understand each other and work together towards a common goal.’
National government departments have participated in the VPF since it started. This has led to collaborative relationships between the private sector, researchers, Department of Basic Education and national Treasury to address school safety.
The VPF method is also being applied internationally by the INSPIRE working group. INSPIRE brings together 28 international government institutions, academics and NGOs to promote and support the use of its strategies to prevent violence against children. Partners include the World Health Organisation, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, Oxford University, USAID, UN Office on Drugs and Crime and Save the Children.
The working group is coordinated by the ISS’ Jody van der Heyde. ‘INSPIRE has benefitted from VPF strategies and experience to get the best results from a diverse group of powerful organisations with big bureaucracies, entrenched hierarchies and traditional ways of working,’ says Van der Heyde. VPF facilitators run INSPIRE’s quarterly meetings.
The VPF approach has also been adopted by the small rural communities of Hoekwil and Touwsranten in the Western Cape. Divided by apartheid and legacies of race and wealth, people and organisations from both communities are finding ways to meet, talk and understand each other, and work together on community projects.
Another VPF success was the creation of the SA Parenting Programmes Implementers Network (SAPPIN), a group of NGOs that use research and practical experience to support parents across South Africa. Instead of competing or working in silos, they are now sharing resources and knowledge and contributing to national efforts to assist parents.
For more information, contact:
Chandré Gould, ISS: [email protected]
