Learning about others
DUNKELD – Heartlines, the Centre for Values Promotion, is in the pioneering phase of a new campaign aimed at building trust, understanding and greater social unity.
Heartlines is a media non-governmental organisation that uses film, print media such as books, and digital media to promote stories that have values-related themes to change lives.
The organisation stated that the idea came about in light of the disturbing events that welcomed Johannesburg into the new year, including the Penny Sparrow saga, Velaphi Khumalo’s responding threat to “do to white people what Hitler did to the Jews” and an incident where a teenager was banned from a public pool, supposedly due to the colour of his skin.
Heartlines believes that it is a lack of understanding about each other that is at the core of these accounts of racism. Therefore, the objective of the What’s Your Story? campaign, is to have at least three million people share their tales and have them listen to the tales of others, to build trust and a greater sense of social unity.
The organisation is working with a number of universities, businesses, faith-based organisations and schools so that they can create a customised approach that will help people hear and share personal stories.
Details: www.heartlines.org.za
