Speaker, social cohesion is the cornerstone of nation-building and one of the most important programmes as it promotes and emphasises individual and community participation.
We have a collective responsibility of promoting the country, harmony and togetherness. Government is playing its own part. Cabinet approved the Social Cohesion Strategy for the whole country on 13 June 2012. Thereafter, in July last year, government, through the Department of Arts and Culture, hosted a successful National Social Cohesion Summit in Kliptown, Johannesburg. This milestone event was attended by over 2 300 delegates from across the spectrum of society including government, political parties, business, civil society, labour and a host of other community- based organisations.
After exhaustive deliberations, the delegates came up with a declaration and a 12-point resolution framework that was presented to the President on 27 November 2012. As part of implementing the resolutions, government will host provincial and local summits where people will make their inputs and help to promote cohesion and unity.
A national social cohesion report back and monitoring summit will be convened next year when we will be celebrating 20 years of our freedom and democracy. Thereafter, the plan is to have summits at five-year intervals to report on progress. We urge civil society to also contribute in various ways. This would include discussions, practical action, national and provincial awards and any other interventions that would promote unity.
To enhance the social cohesion and nation-building agenda among opinion leaders, we have identified and appointed eminent persons to serve as advocates for social cohesion. This will assist to heighten awareness and highlight the role of those who represent the core values of our society. The eminent persons include Advocate George Bizos, Judge Yvonne Mokgoro and Ms Brigalia Bam. We also have men and women who serve as trustees in institutions such as Brand SA. We can utilise their expertise since social cohesion is also about building the South African brand.
Also key to the social cohesion programme is the promotion of nonracialism as one of the cornerstones of our democracy. Our Constitution states that South Africa belongs to all who live in it - black and white. We need to promote this principle and ensure that all our people feel that they truly belong to this country and that they are not alienated due to race or class, or because they are poor. [Applause.]
We urge hon members not to use this programme to score political points but to promote the country. Every contribution counts. We look forward to seeing some of the social cohesion programmes of opposition parties, for example, as part of building the nation. I will really appreciate invitations to such gatherings so that I can participate with opposition parties to promote nation-building. [Applause.]
The participants at the social cohesion summit aptly summarised the principle of working together when they said the following in the declaration issued at the end of the summit, and I quote:
In pursuit of these objectives, we wish to commit ourselves, and all sectors of society represented at this summit, to work together to realise the ideals enshrined in our Constitution, and to assert that each of our organisations and institutions will strive to contribute all we can to realise our common national objective to attain a decent and improving quality of life for all, in a society united in its diversity. We depart from this historic venue united in our commitment to building a nation that is caring, dignified and with a great sense of humility and mutual respect for one another.
We all have a responsibility to build such a society. I thank you. [Applause.]