As one of South Africa's leading think tanks, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) aims to promote fair, democratic, and inclusive societies in Africa through its various engagements and community-based research initiatives. It utilizes and hones reconciliation as a tool for exercising these ideals, seeing it as a way of uniting the people of South Africa and overcoming its divisive history. In this light, Chasing Rainbows, performed by two of our exceptionally creative alumni, Claude Van Wyk and Selena Dhillon, explore and invoke dialogue on the notion of reconciliation and the role it plays in the country today. 

Reconciliation is a two-pronged concept: it contains a psychological element with platform for one to constantly confront the justice of the past in order to peacefully coexist. But there is also a tangible element, reinforcing the willingness and effort necessary for the engendering the process of reconciliation. Both are mutually reinforcing: one must possess the ability to acknowledge one’s privileges, as well as the moral responsibility attached to knowledge—pain, loss, and anger as a precondition to forgiveness and ultimately reconciliation. 

Through this excavation of history and reconciliation, Van Wyk and Dhillon’s performance take us through a reflective journey through their own personal narratives allowing youth to understand how we can promote reconciliation in the world today.

Performed by: Selena Dhillon (Canada) and Claude Van Wyk (RSA)
Lyrics: Selena Dhillon (Canada) and Claude Van Wyk (RSA)
Final Mix: Mpho Chauke (RSA)
Executive Producer: Juzaida Swain (IJR) 

For more info: jswain@ijr.org.za 

Chasing Rainbows

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) was launched in the year 2000, in the aftermath of South Africa´s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The aim was to ensure that lessons learnt from South Africa´s transition from apartheid to democracy were taken into account as the nation moved ahead. Today, the Institute helps to build fair, democratic and inclusive societies in Africa through carefully selected engagements and interventions

IJR

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