11.03.2025

A Journey of Awareness, Reflection and Action

From left: Rev Dr Ernest Kadiva, Rev Jurcelyn Astudillo, Ridho Simamora, Fatima Swartz, Christine Musongya, Sarah Vecera, Julian Elf, Fr. Michael Lapsley and Bilaal Kuzwayo, in the Institute for Healing of Memories.

Pews only for white people? Today, racist structures are a starting point for Global Education in UEM. Both photos by: UEM

“This enables us to find new ways to collectively overcome racism on an international level with a methodology from the Global South”: Sarah Vecera, Coordinator Global Education with the focus "Racism and Church" at the United Evangelical Mission (UEM), draws a very positive conclusion.

Six coworkers from three regions

For five days in February 2025, two coworkers from every UEM Region came together in Cape Town, South Africa, facilitated by the Institute for Healing of Memories: The six of them learned about racism in its definition, history and manifestation.

They visited places of South African history connected to Apartheid and Liberation, like the Desmond and Leah Tutu House, to explore the role of the church, Black theology and reconciliation. They also went to District Six, a diverse community that the Apartheid Government had to destroy in 1966, in order to create a divided society that they could then claim to be natural: “District Six represented the polar opposite of what the Apartheid government needed people to believe and internalize.”, Vecera emphasizes. Today, a museum is dedicated to both the memory of the community and the active reconstruction and rehabilitation of its knowledge and wisdom.

Storytelling as a way to work on racism

For a full day the participants shared their ideas and life stories. From the Institute for the Healing of Memories, Father Michael Lapsley, Mrs. Fatima Swartz and Mr. Bilaal Kuzwayo facilitated the process and guided their storytelling. Vecera describes the outcome of the workshop: “This approach is an excellent way to engage in intercultural dialogue about racism without causing division. Instead, it fosters a deeper sense of unity and healing, allowing us to grow stronger together as an international community.”

For the future, UEM will build on the experience of the six coworkers in this workshop to develop new (and maybe re-develop old) strategies for Anti Racism work in all three Regions.

For now, it has already changed a lot for all six colleagues who participated:

• Rev Jurcelyn Astudillo, Head of the Asia Regional Office
• Ridho Simamora, Programme Officer
• Rev Dr Ernest Kadiva, Head of the Africa Regional Office
• Christine Musongya, Programme Officer
• Sarah Vecera, Coordinator Global Education
• Julian Elf, Coordinator Global Education