Public Launch of the Social Justice Coalition

As a response to the recent attacks on foreign nationals in Western Cape, individuals from all walks of life have been mobilised in providing humanitarian relief. Lack of faith in the government, city, big business and even civil society has led us to respond individually and voluntarily. The Social Justice Coalition (SJC) is an independent group that believes in freedom, equality, non-violence and a human rights framework that respects among others, the right of every person to life, dignity, and access to health care.

We commit ourselves to build a Social Justice Coalition that promotes a “Marshall Plan” for development in South and Southern Africa based on prioritizing and meeting the needs of the poor and steadily and visibly reducing social inequality.

In brief, our aims are:

• To work towards and support all efforts to achieve gender equality.
• To work for the safety and security of all people and to resist hate crimes, xenophobia, gender-based violence and crime in all our communities.
• To actively use the South African Constitution to ensure that private and governmental policies and conduct are always based on consideration of the needs of poor and marginalized people.
• To support international human rights instruments and international humanitarian law.
• To uphold open, accountable, ethical and responsive government on the basis of the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law through active democratic participation.
• To claim global citizenship with the understanding that all human beings have inalienable rights and that citizenship cannot be limited to national origin.

We invite and welcome individuals of all political persuasions, organizations, genders, religious backgrounds, nationalities and communities to join the Social Justice Coalition.

The launch of the SJC will be held at Salt River Community Hall, Wednesday 25th June 2008 from 18:30 – 20:30pm. For more information please phone the SJC on 021-422-1490 during office hours.