Die hoë voorkoms van geweld in die huidige demokratiese Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing stel nie net aan die regering nie, maar ook aan die teologie en die kerke ‘n besondere uitdaging. Wat ons nou nodig het is heldere teologiese denke oor dié geweld en sinvolle leiding deur die kerke oor hoe dit hanteer moet word.

 Om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot die hantering van hierdie uitdaging reël die Sentrum vir Publieke Teologie van die Fakulteit Teologie van die Universiteit van Pretoria ‘n nasionale konferensie van Dinsdag 10 tot Donderdag 12 Augustus. Die hoofspeker is prof. Wolfgang Huber, pas-afgetrede voorsitter van die Raad van die Evangeliese Kerk in Duitsland (EKD). Hy is ‘n internasionaal bekende teoloog wat onder andere ‘n baanbrekende boek oor geweld geskryf het. Hy sal Dinsdagaand 10 Augustus om 19:00 ‘n openbare lesing hou oor die onderwerp Religion and violence in a globalised world en op Woensdagaand 11 Augustus weer om 19:00 een oor die onderwerp Overcoming violence – A basic task of Christian churches. Beide die openbare lesings is in die Sanlam Ouditorium in die konferensiesentrum van die Universiteit van Pretoria (hoofkampus), is gratis en is oop vir die publiek, met ander woorde ook vir persone wat nie vir die konferensie inskryf nie.

Afgesien van prof Huber neem ‘n hele aantal oorsese teoloë en ook Suid-Afrikaanse deskundiges oor die geweld in ons samelewing aan die konferensie deel. Veral vanweë die deelname van die oorsese sprekers sal die voertaal by die konferensie Engels wees.

Hier is ‘n oorsig van die sub-temas, sprekers en die onderwerpe van die referate:

The nature and causes of the violence:

·         Jan Hofmeyr (Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, UCT): The social context of violence in SA:  A public opinion perspective

·         Johan Burger (Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria): SA’s violent crime profile: Trends and tendencies

·         David Bruce (Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, Wits): The nature and causes of violent crime in  SA

Engaging violence theologically:

• Răsvan Tatu (pastor, Johannesburg): Some reflections on religion and violence
• Johann Albrecht Meylahn (UP): Seeking the good (peace) of the republic:  The violence against and of difference in defining the public space:  Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war
• Erna Oliver (Unisa): The church is part of the problem
• Rothney Tshaka (Unisa): The role of theology in engaging violence in present day          South Africa
• Eddy van der Borght (Free University, Amsterdam): Coming to terms with ethnic violence theologically: An analysis of a century of ecumenical dealing with identity politics
• Nyamburi Njoroge (World Council of Churches, Geneva): Addressing violent legacies: The role of theological  institutions in Africa
• Nelus Niemandt (UP): “Mission and power” – The relevance of the Edinburgh 2010 discussion in the theological engagement with violence
• Willem Saayman (professor emeritus, Unisa): I am because you are: Humanization as public agenda for Christian mission
• Edward P Wimberly (Interdenominational Theological Seminary, Atlanta): Unnoticed and unloved.  The indigenous story-teller and public policy in a post-colonial age
• Anthony Egan (Jesuit Institute, Johannesburg): Utopian realism and the search for a desanctified theology of violence
• Sias Meyer (UP): The role of the Old Testament in violent South Africa:  Villian or saviour?
• Reggie Nel (Unisa): A qualitative inquiry into the perceptions of young people, in Riverlea community, as a basis for developing a missional ecclesiology
• Cobus van Wyngaard (UP): Critical reflections on congregational reactions in the   DRC to violence

The churches’ contribution in combating violence:

Facilitating reconciliation between groups

• Piet Meiring (professor emeritus, UP): “You will be called repairer of broken walls”. The role of the South African faith communities in combating violence in South Africa”
• Wessel Bentley (pastor Pretoria): The reconciliary role of Holy Communion in the Methodist tradition

Advocacy for and accommodation of victims of xenophobia

• Elina Hankena (PhD student, University of Helsinski):  “It just intrigues me that people who we look down on so much are so intelligent.” A socio-ethical analysis of overcoming xenophobia
• Emmanual Tshilenga (pastor, French speaking congregation Pretoria): The church as advocate for refugees experiencing xenophobic violence in South Africa

Contribution to the healing of victims of violence

• Johannes Froneman (NWU) and Christo Lombard (Unisa): ’n Karaktisering van religieuse verwysings in berigte om misdaad en ongelukke in Beeld  en Rapport
• Christo Thesnaar (US): The churches’ contribution to the healing of victims of violence
• Roelf Opperman (pastor, Pretoria):  A story of how a congregation on the outskirts of Pretoria started the healing process of their crime stricken community

Educating for peace

• Gerhard Bothma (pastor, Polokwane): Educating members for peace:  A practical theological reading of 2 Corinthians 5 as a metatheoretical framework for engaging violence theologically
• Cori Wielenga (Co-director, NGO Shalom, Rwanda): Compassionate communication as a response to conflict
•  Christoph Baumann (Centre for Christian Spirituality, Cape Town): Guiding men to deal peacefully with conflict and violence in everyday life
• Maake Masango (UP): Spiral of violence and gender sensitivity

Modeling peaceful existence

• Terence Cooke (pastor, Potchefstroom): The pastor as model for peaceful existence
• Andrew Suderman (director, Anabaptist Network in Southern Africa): Overcoming modernity’s individualism: Being a community that witnesses to the Kingdom of God in the face of violence
• Albert Mutavhatsindi ( pastor, Soweto): The role of the Reformed Churches in South Africa (GKSA) in addressing the problem of violence in South Africa

 Prophetic witness

• Christina Landman (Unisa): The church’s public role in the service delivery uprisings

 Alle Christene vir wie dit van belang is dat die teologie en die kerke op die gepaste wyse op die geweld in ons samelewing respondeer, word uitgenooi om in te skryf vir die konferensie. Die volgende inligting is van belang vir diegene wat wil inskryf:

Plek: Sanlam Ouditorium, konferensiesentrum, hoofkampus, Universiteit van Pretoria

Duur: Dinsdag 10 Augustus 10:30 tot Donderdag 12 Augustus 13:00. Daar moet in ag geneem word dat daar ook die twee aandsessies (Dinsdag- en Woensdagaand) is waar prof. Huber sy openbare lesings sal lewer

Inskrywingsgeld: R 250 vir die hele konferensie. Dit sluit ook twee aandetes en vyf bedieninge van tee/koffie in. Om die inskrywingsgeld laag te hou, word middagetes nie ingesluit nie. Daar is egter genoeg plekke op die kampus waar kos gekoop kan word. Die inskrywingsgeld vir slegs een dag is R 125.

Inskrywingsprosedure en betaling van inskrywingsgeld: U kan vir die konferensie inskryf deur die gepaste bedrag in die volgende bankrekening in te betaal: Universiteit of Pretoria, Absa Bank, takkode: 632 005, rekeningnommer: 214 000 00 54, verwysing: A2209 (NB om die verwysingsnommer te meld) én deur u naam en kontakgegewens, asook bewys van betaling aangeheg,  te e-pos na die e-posadres: centre.publictheology@up.ac.za  nie later nie as die 4e Augustus.

Kontakpersone: As u enige navrae het, kan u met mev. Daleen Kotzé (tel. nr. 012-420 2348, e-posadres: daleen.kotze@up.ac.za (tot 30 Julie) of Cobus van Wyngaard (e-posadres: cobusvw@gmail.com) skakel.