Collaborative thinking and action for violence prevention and safe public spaces
Project description
Title: Inclusive violence and crime prevention for safe public spaces (VCP)
Country: South Africa
Context
People’s mobility, quality of life, their participation in public life and in sustainable development greatly depend on the safety of public spaces. South Africa’s safety issues are thus one of the key obstacles to the country’s development. Although the situation has slightly improved over the past few years, the country’s violence and crime statistics remain disconcertingly high. A lack of access to public services, a high rate of unemployment as well as a lack of prospects particularly for young people, are factors conducive to violence and criminality in society.
Objective
Public sector, civil society and community based organisations cooperate more effectively to promote the safety of particularly vulnerable population groups in disadvantaged communities.
Approach
On behalf of the German Government, GIZ is implementing a project on Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention for Safe Public Spaces (VCP), which follows a comprehensive, systemic approach. The project strengthens cooperation between public sector, civil society organisations as well as the private sector and connects practitioners who aim at creating safer communities. This is achieved through dialogue events, study trips, sharing good practices and creating multi-sector exchange platforms.
Another priority area of the project involves training various practitioners including police officers, urban planners and government representatives, in the prevention of youth violence and in urban development that specifically addresses public safety. Local government authorities are given support in networking practitioners more effectively and in recognising how joint initiatives can help to enhance safety. In addition, the project helps to mainstream the issue of violence prevention in relevant governmental processes and institutions in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and other selected municipalities. Other measures promote the activation of young people in order to strengthen social cohesion in the communities and harness the particular potential of young people in developing sustainable violence prevention measures.
Results achieved so far
Since the beginning of 2012 the project has networked various practitioners at national, local and provincial level and prepared a strategic action plan in line with local needs. In Nelson Mandela Bay young people were activated in a city wide project to create more safety in their communities. Exchange and study tours served to connect experts and decision makers from South Africa, who discussed the development of prevention platforms in South Africa. The insights of these study trips are being shared among other things on the newly emerging multi-sector, interdisciplinary platforms.