In a bold move to tackle the root causes of violence, social breakdown, and institutional dysfunction in South Africa, Khulisa Social Solutions is hosting a national Restorative Justice and Conflict Mediation Training from 15–19 September 2025 in Johannesburg. This transformative initiative is being conducted in partnership with the Society of Mediators (SoM) – a globally respected UK-based body renowned for its work in conflict transformation.

The upcoming training will be led by Jonathan Dingle, a former barrister and Founder of SoM, whose initial visit to South Africa in October 2024 laid the foundation for this next chapter in Khulisa’s mediation journey. That visit included community engagements, dialogue circle observations, and strategy meetings with NGO leaders and stakeholders. Profoundly moved by the innovation and authenticity of Khulisa’s work, Mr. Dingle committed to an ongoing partnership to support the professionalisation of community peacemaking efforts.

NGOs from six provinces will participate in the September 2025 training, which aims to build local mediation capacity and strengthen grassroots responses to violence and conflict. These organisations, many of whom have been mentored by Khulisa over several years, are recognised for their role in fostering trust and healing in some of South Africa’s most challenged communities.

In December 2025, Mr. Dingle will return to South Africa to visit each participating community, assess the outcomes of the training, and engage local leaders in dialogue on the need for embedded, sustainable peacemaking initiatives. He will return again in early 2026 to support the full-scale rollout of a national programme. This long-term initiative will form the basis of a BBC documentary, currently in development, which will highlight South Africa’s journey from grassroots trauma to community-led peacebuilding.

Leading up to the training, Khulisa has mobilised its national network to conduct SIT (Story-Intelligence-Transformation) based dialogue circles with five core stakeholder groups: youth, women and caregivers, educators, traditional leaders, and local government representatives. Each region is required to submit findings from five sessions by mid-August 2025.

“This is more than a training. It is the catalyst for a national movement to rebuild trust and restore justice,” says Dr. Lesley Ann van Selm, Khulisa’s Founder and Managing Director. “We must stop throwing money at symptoms and instead invest in the voices and solutions that emerge from our communities.”

This evidence-based approach is designed to uncover the root causes of crime, violence, and social decay – often masked by policy gaps and surface-level interventions. The data generated will guide future investments, advocacy, and national planning.

This initiative is also a breakthrough for Khulisa’s NGO partners, who are being formally recognised and equipped for the first time as trained community mediators. Many of these organisations have already implemented Khulisa’s narrative therapy-based peacemaking model in areas like Alexandra, impacting thousands of lives and demonstrating the power of local solutions.

Building on Khulisa’s longstanding partnership with SoM, this collaboration integrates world-class mediation frameworks with South African community wisdom, backed by Khulisa’s data-driven SIT tools. It signals a new era in restorative justice – one that begins at the grassroots and radiates outward.