 Opening Address to the 6th General Assembly of The Forum
by Ms Riah Phiyega, Group Executive Government Relations at ABSA and founding Chairperson of The Forum. 20th February, 2008
Ms Riah Phiyega led the assembly in a recollection of the journey The Forum has made since its inception in the period leading up to the birth of the new South Africa in 1994.
The history of The Forum is inseparable from the history of South Africa’s transition from a non-democratic to a democratic country. The Forum ended up serving as an example to others by successfully bringing together what was then a sector highly fragmented along lines of race, geography, and sub-sectors to mention only a few.
 “The truly extraordinary thing about the birth of The Forum was the way it brought together people who did not necessarily agree with each other but realised the need to come together in response to the sea of need”, said John Allen (pictured left with Bishop Joe Seoka).
The Forum made sure it was recognised as a player in the new dispensation from the start, and was part of a number of processes in the early 90s. One of its most important victories was obtaining the recognition in law of community development workers, so that these informal and poorly educated people could be registered and salaried like any other social worker.
It seems the movement has lost some momentum since those days though, Ms Riah Phiyega said, and was echoed by several of the other veterans present.
 “We need to find ways to revive the movement to make it relevant to the issues of today. To do this we need to ask ourselves if we are still we engaging in the manner we were supposed to, touching people in the way that was intended. Are we managing issues properly?”
In her address to The Forum’s general assembly in 1996, she likened the then two-year old organisation to a car that was due for a service. Like a car, this is a perfectly natural part of the process of maturing. At this stage of the process, she urged members to re-assess the direction to take and give The Forum a new lease of life.
“The past and the future are like the rear-view mirror and windscreen of a car”, she concluded. The rear-view mirror, where we pick up on past issues and what they have taught us, is critical but must be kept in perspective, whereas the windscreen, as our view and vision of the future, must be wide and large so and make it possible to see where we want to go.”
These words will no doubt linger with members over the coming days, as they map out the trajectory they want The Forum to take from here on.
Ms Riah's Address to the First General Assembly in 1996
|
