One of the lessons of the Apartheid years is that religion can be used as a weapon of violence to achieve a political end: The white church was co-opted by the Nationalist Party to provide a kind of spiritual basis for its political agenda to oppress the black population. What is an equally strong lesson of those Apartheid years is the power of deeply spiritually motivated people to resist the evils of oppressive systems, to work toward peace and justice, to forgive human offenses and to embrace those who were at one point your enemies. The Archbishop Desmond Tutu came to symbolize that spiritual force as he stood Bible-in-hand in front of government bulldozers that were destroying black homes, led massive street protests during the state of emergency, housed political refugees in his Cathedral, and, after liberation, chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission where his team listened to thousands of accounts of torture and murder that were politically motivated. The goal of the TRC was to help the nation move beyond that terror ridden era into a new national era of peace and reconciliation.

The South Africa Community Fund recognizes that most human communities have a core identity that is wrapped inside a spiritual world view. Our political motivations and our treatment of our neighbors come from a place that is nurtured by this spirituality. And indeed, some of the greatest acts of courage and worst deeds of terror come from that same space. As we pursue peace building on behalf of future generations, one of the primary areas of nurture and formation is our spiritual lives. As we come to a more accurate understanding of how our spiritual selves are formed and nurtured, we will probably come to a better understanding of how our spiritual selves translate into the public square.

For several years the South Africa Community Fund has offered programs in Cape Town that serve as a spiritual pilgrimage for religious groups from north America that want to pursue peace building as a spiritual discipline. The eleven-day intensive, Spirit, Soil and Voice, is based out of an intimate setting in a guest house and combines meditation, celebration, field trips, art, reflections, lectures and group discussion. Members explore the spiritual story lines of South Africa’s major religious traditions, visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, meet with leaders of the Tutu Peace Centre and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, engage in lively discussion with community activists, enjoy live local jazz shows and theater productions, study resistance art as a means to Voice, and engage a personal journey into their own spiritual story line and tapestry.

The eleven day intensive, Spirit, Soil and Voice, is custom designed by the South Africa Community Fund to fit the needs of your particular group. This unique Spiritual Pilgrimage can be hosted on behalf of a local church, temple, or mosque, and can be designed for interfaith or spirituality groups as well.