What Works? -- South African delegation takes back ideas on ways to build their country after visiting Chicago and South Suburban Homewood

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A delegation from Cape Town, South Africa including Rev. Leonard Maart, United Presbyterian Church, Beatrice Truter, A.N.C. Womens League/Maart Education Trust and Mpho Molaoa, from Malibongwe Women Development, recently visited Chicago and Homewood, Illinois.

The focus of the delegations visit was to meet with community leaders, schools, academicians, youth advocates and others who are working on finding ideas for resolving conflict, reducing crime and peacemaking. The delegation hoped to obtain youth development strategies to enact in their own country.

The Chicago trip consisted of a day with States Attorney Anita Alvarez at the Cook County Juvenile Court where they met with Child Protection and Juvenile Justice judges, public defenders and probation officers. The visit also included stops at two west side agencies and a meeting with Homewood Flossmoor Peer Jury Program members. The delegation learned the mechanics of setting up a peer jury program including how to recruit and train youth who sit on juries.

Sixteen years after Apartheid, there is a pressing need to have the infrastructure to continue the struggle for freedom for all South Africans, stated CAP Senior Associate Executive Director. Edith Crigler. This visit is just one of many approaches being considered to build a new and greater South Africa, he said.

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