Worcester’s community-led restitution initiative has been recognised by National Geographic Story, June 2010 and the SundayTimes
The Community-led Restitution Programme provides guidelines (supported by a case study) of how to facilitate a community-led restitution process. These guidelines include:
- Invitation by a community to facilitate a community-led restitution process.
- Identification of a story of human rights abuse that occurred in the community.
- Needs assessment of those who have suffered human rights abuse.
- Identification and invitation of a key group of representative community members to develop and plan the restitution process.
- Selection of chairperson and steering committee to coordinate the restitution initiative.
- Acknowledgement and sincere apology to victims of human rights abuse.
- Reconciliation discussions and workshops.
- Restitution pilgrimages to Robben Island.
- Consideration of practical ways (tangible and symbolic) to address the needs of those who have been dishonoured by injustice as a practical way of doing restitution.
- Mobilisation the community towards a restitution social movement.
- Publicising the restitution intervention within the community through the media, and advocating for further initiatives.
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The case study of the community-led restitution process in the Boland town of Worcester facilitated by the Restitution Foundation since June 2009 can be found here: Worcester Case Study