Critical issues in the conference were pulled together in the talk by Crain Soudien, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Cape Town. He addressed the high levels of violence in South African society and the need to understand better how masculinity has become implicated in violence, the outcome in particular of what apartheid did to the link between generations.
Working with a particular case of a young man convicted of murder, but who is now a respected person who contributes fully to community life, he spoke of the need for education to develop young people as thinkers, so that the repertoire of responses open to young people includes much more than retaliation for hurt. It is the repertoire of responses that must be addressed if we are to move significantly towards nonviolence.
The discussion that followed emphasised the need for young people to be listened to with respect, and for education to be posing the question of what it is to be human.