Education for Liberation

Activities of Khanya College

Khanya College engages in six kinds of activities. These are:

1. Education and training workshops and seminars
2. Economic Literacy
3. Research
4. Publications
5. Campaigns, Organising and Advocacy
6. Provision of support infrastructure for the social movements

The College designs and facilitates workshops, seminars and other educational events like conferences. These workshops range from one-day events to five-day events. The workshops are designed in consultation with the beneficiary constituency.

The statement from our workshop design sessions captures Khanya’s approach to educational methods:

“In the workshops facilitators will start with participant’s knowledge and experience, bring that experience into a collective framework and add new information and knowledge. This will be done by using small group discussions, plenary debates, role plays, inputs, videos and case studies, and other techniques.”

The transition in South Africa has triggered debate about the kind of macro-economic strategies that need to be followed in order to overcome the legacy of apartheid. Many mass organisations and activists were confronted with the realisation that they need capacity building in the various macro-economic strategies, and the role they can play in eradicating poverty and social inequality.

In all its various programmes the College undertakes economic literacy training in various forms in order to facilitate the participation of activists and mass organisations in the debates concerning macro-economic strategies and choices. Some of the issues taken up in the different programmes deal with globalisation and neoliberalism, privatisation and public sector reform, the impact of globalisation on social service delivery, Gear and its alternatives, a foundation course in economics, and so on.

Khanya College conducts research on various topics of interests to the constituencies we serve. We see research as an important activity that enhances the quality of our educational activity. Research also ensures that working class organisations' responses to the challenges they face are based on up-to-date information and carefully reasoned views.

Khanya also brings its commitment to building organisations and layers of leadership into its approach to research. Towards this end we strive to train and involve the various constituencies we work with in the research activities and processes.

Research conducted by the College is either on request from our constituencies or is initiated by the College.

Besides the publication of its research work, Khanya College also produces popular publications on various topics of interest to its constituencies. The publications range from booklets, calendars, posters, articles in journals and manuals, and are produced at Khanya’s initiative, or on request from various organisations. The publications are written in an accessible and readable style, while at the same time introducing readers to sometimes complex ideas and arguments. Through publications like the Khanya Journal, the college also provides a platform for debate and exchange of view among the social movements.

The college is also committed to assisting mass organisations and social movements in producing their own publications. This commitment forms part of the broader commitment to empower social movements in their struggles for a just social order.

Over the past few years the college has received many request to assist with building new movements and organisations. The college sees the building of these movements and organisations as part of its mission of assisting working class communities develop effective responses to political and economic globalisation. This aspect of the work of the college includes participation in various campaigns, in advocacy around various issues facing the movements, and in assisting in organising initiatives undertaken by the movements.

Provision of support infrastructure for the social movements

The college is also involved in providing support infrastructure for the mass organisations and social movements. This work of the college includes provision of IT infrastructure, a resources centre, conference centre facilities, printing and so on. Whenever possible, the college has entered into partnerships with other organisations to facilitate the social movements’ access to these resources.

In the course of all these three activities the College pursues three core objectives:

1. To build the theoretical, analytical and conceptual capacity of activists so as to enhance their understanding of the world in which they live and act
2. To enhance their organisational and mobilisation skills so as to improve their ability to organise for social change, and
3. To promote an ethos and practice of solidarity and social justice among activists