Faith in Action:
Reflections Series
Addressing Multi-religious Tensions through Literacy and Enhancing Understanding and Harmony
Dr. Charmaine January
Dr. Charmaine January Bahá’í Office, Manager of Residence Life | Student Development Practitioner | Higher Education Researcher
Dr. January is a higher education leader at the University of Cape Town, specializing in student development, leadership, and transformation. With a PhD in Higher Education Transformation, she has led strategic initiatives like the UCT Leadership Academy and contributed to national and international forums on student affairs and social cohesion. She also serves on the Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs and is a published author committed to research that drives meaningful change.
Lorato Scherpenhuyzen
Lorato Scherpenhuyzen, the founder of Ke Karabo, is a mother, a community leader, spiritual trainer, and sangoma, with a vision to assist communities to reach their full potential. Her vision is guided by her African roots and spirituality.
Mama Lorato comes from a family of community leaders and activists. She is inspired by a generation of people who have strived for a better world around them. She is a strong, resilient, and caring woman with experience in developing communities in South Africa. She has impacted individuals, families, and communities with her knowledge of effective spiritual practices.
Michael Swain
Michael Swain was raised in England, graduating from the University of Bristol with an Honours degree in Law before immigrating to South Africa in 1983. He is a co-founder and former vice president of the Every Nation (formerly His People) movement of churches and ministries. He has spent over 30 years in Christian ministry in South Africa, Europe, and the USA.
Michael has also enjoyed success as a businessman, having founded and run companies in diverse areas, including software development, events management, marketing, and communications.
Michael currently serves as the Executive Director and primary spokesperson for FOR SA. He is an allied lawyer with the Global Advocacy Alliance.
“In an increasingly secular world, where views and values based upon faith are often marginalised, ignored or even viewed as regressive, there is a growing realisation of the importance of the right of religious freedom. This right is shared equally by all faiths and increasingly creates opportunities for diverse faith communities to collaborate and work together where they find common cause.
I am looking forward to sharing some practical examples of where this unity has been successful and created harmony and understanding between faiths who would otherwise have little in common.”
Mu-Aalima Fakude
She is a National Interfaith Leader, premised on pious living towards PEACE in the world led by human beings of conscious obedient leadership towards civil efficiency based on competent civic interpretation of the Constitution. She propagates effective exercise of Human Rights and defence thereof. As a Researcher and Scholar she works in collaboration with civic and community leaders. She is hands-on in civil society, identifying and addressing socio – economic political shortfalls as well as all ills impeding equal access to opportunities, thereby the realisation of Human Rights protection in a Constitutional Democracy – South Africa.
Among many mechanisms to achieve the recognition and realisation of Human Rights for all, she provides Intergenerational Workshops and Facilitations on capacity building through Leadership Development. She organises as well as operates strongly in activities directed at fostering spaces for change especially by developing the capacities of communities such that their collective issues are addressed by themselves with a view to act on them in consensus which is built on shared values deriving from the Bill of Rights. She leads campaigns on food security, energy efficiency for prevention and protection against energy poverty and conducts interventions against the impact of climate change.
Her Community Conversations and Dialogues extend to include expressing initiatives on platforms and spaces of various leadership congresses and conventions. She believes only shared values will bring about a common identity that builds one South Africa – one Nation. She fully appreciates that as strenuously as it is to strive for this goal, it is only with the Divine Grace and Will of The Almighty that it will be achieved in South Africa and finally the world through. She serves as Chairperson for the National Interfaith Council of South Africa (NICSA) and a Peace Ambassador for Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light (HWPL) all in the quest to *Enhancing Understanding and Harmony* globally.
