About the NMF
Centre of Memory and Dialogue
The Nelson Mandela Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1999 to support its Founder’s ongoing engagement in worthy causes on his retirement as President of South Africa. The Foundation is registered as a trust, with its board of trustees comprising prominent South Africans selected by the Founder. The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and Dialogue was inaugurated by Nelson Mandela on September 21, 2004, and endorsed as the core work of the Foundation in 2006.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, through its Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and Dialogue, contributes to the making of a just society by promoting the vision and work of its Founder and convening dialogue around critical social issues.
Dialogue for Justice
The Dialogue Programme of the Centre of Memory and Dialogue aims to develop and sustain dialogue around Mr Mandela’s legacy. It is committed to building on the history, experience, values, vision and leadership of its Founder to provide a non-partisan platform for public discourse on critical social issues. Achieving community participation in decision-making, even at policy levels, is prioritised.
The Dialogue Programme aims to perpetuate and re-invigorate the culture of engagement using the example set by Mr Mandela of inclusive and open dialogue for which South Africa is famous.
Drawing on the rich traditions of transformative dialogue, problem-solving and social renewal that made possible South Africa’s remarkable transition, the Dialogue Programme:
• Aims to facilitate greater understanding and awareness about the problems faced by people, particularly in South Africa and Africa, and the possible solutions available to them
• Utilises comprehensive methodologies to promote dialogue between stakeholders
• Convenes result-oriented stakeholder dialogue on key social issues identified through continuous engagement with partners
Memory for Justice
Memory resources documenting the life and times of Nelson Mandela are to be found in an extraordinary range of locations, both within South Africa and internationally. The Memory Programme provides a unique facility which:
• Locates, documents and ensures the preservation of these scattered resources
• Collects and curates Mr Mandela’s personal archive
• Promotes public access to these resources and fosters dialogue around them
• Ensures that all initiatives in the name of Nelson Mandela are true to his legacy
Memory is not an end in itself. Its significance lies in its use. The Memory Programme seeks to reach both global audiences and those systemically disadvantaged within South Africa by:
• Undertaking outreach programmes, including travelling exhibitions, books, a comic series, and internships
• Ensuring web-based access to information through its web portal
• Supporting digitisation initiatives designed to broaden access to resources
• Facilitating research by individuals and institutions
“We believe that the vehicle for sharing memory effectively, for growing it, and for engaging it in the promotion of justice, is dialogue. We actively open our memory work – on the life and times of Nelson Mandela, the events and the people he influenced or was influenced by – to debate and discussion, and we draw on this memory work in convening dialogue on critical social issues that present a threat to justice in society.” – Verne Harris, Memory Programme Manager