The team at ACT Ubumbano is excited to be back at work, and we hope your festive break allowed you to have quality time with your family and friends. We need to be refreshed and re-energised to take on the challenges of making our world different and better.

This year is full of promise, and we hope we can improve our capacity to be in solidarity with those who struggle for justice and dignity in their lives and their communities. We spent a day near the Cradle of Humankind outside Joburg to reflect a little on our work, and to put in place some plans for the year. A lot of these plans are dependent on us securing funding for a new cycle, so please be patient as we engage with our funding partners.

We will soon be inviting proposals for small grants to support local social justice actions in the region. Watch this space – if you receive the newsletter you will also get the call for proposals when it happens. Check your junk mail folder.

The Solidarity Hub last year was a great success, and confirmed the need expressed by activists for spaces to reflect and connect. We will be announcing dates for this year’s event and are looking at the possibility of a Solidarity Hub in Europe to engage with our partners there as well.

There are places in our region where solidarity is more important than ever. We mourn the death by assassination of Thulani Maseko in Swaziland. He was a beacon of hope for his people and allies across the world. We hold his family in our hearts at this time of great sorrow. ACT Ubumbano stands in solidarity with those who fight to have their dignity restored.

We perserve, and hope that our collaboration with you this year is uplifting and fruitful. We look forward to sharing energy, insight, passion and commitment to make solidarity and justice real and meaningful.