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Constitution Hill

P.O. Box 31005
Braamfontein 2017
Johannesburg, South Africa

Tel: +27-11-381-3129
Fax: +27-11-381-3108

African Sites of Conscience Network

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Dialogues for Democracy

Constitution Hill, along with all Coalition member sites, has designed a program called Dialogues for Democracy. The Dialogues for Democracy help visitors draw connections between the past and the present by using the histories of the sites to inspire new conversations and action on pressing contemporary issues.

Other Programs

Dialogue Lekgotla
Dialogue lekgotlas (gathering/discussion) are informal interactions that take place between groups of learners, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or community audiences with an invited guest who may or may not be a decision or policy maker on any topic related to the site ranging from past histories to present day concerns. After the lekgotla, the assembled group may be invited to carry out some action in relation to what has been discussed.

For example, a dialogue lekgotla could take place between an ex-political prisoner and a group of learners discussing challenges facing young people under apartheid and present. Afterwards, learners are encouraged to set up a series of intergenerational conversations in their own schools.

Insights at Constitution Hill
This lekgotla program series is framed against the backdrop of “Our Constitution – Ten Years On,” which gives ordinary people the space to evaluate the progress of the country as a democratic state. The series is held in partnerships with institutions/NGOs that focus on the development of constitutional rights. The following types of themes have been addressed:

Conversations at Constitution Hill
This other lekgotla series focuses on the lives, public roles and contributions made by some of South Africa’s most prominent citizens. The relaxed two-way dialogue emphasizes the country’s rich socio-cultural make-up through the lives of individuals, and especially their iconic significance. A facilitator, who is usually a well-known personality from either the arts or political world, interviews the invited guest for an hour and then asks the audience to interact with the person. Often a lively and engaging conversation is set up between the facilitator, the audience and the guest.

Heritage Lekgotla Series
Designed specifically for heritage specialists, students and members of the public, these lekgotla enable participants to reflect and engage on matters that relate to heritage, culture and tourism. The monthly lekgotla program aims to enrich public awareness of the role of museums and related cultural institutions in social transformation, as spaces of interrogation and catalysts for dialogue and debate. It also aims to foster the consolidation of a post-apartheid public sphere in the city, the provinces, country and beyond. For example, the curators and designers of Constitution Hill have done walkabouts with heritage students and curators from other institutions explaining the curatorial philosophies behind the exhibitions at Constitution Hill and the strategies that have been used to draw in the visitors in an interactive way. Excellent questions from the attendees of the workshops have raised interesting feedback for the curators and designers allowing for a two-way learning process in relation to the exhibitions.