Re.think Leadership

Re.think Leadership cultivates youth leadership through dialogue. The organisation was founded in October 2009 by six young people (aged 20-25) and is currently run by a team of 20 dedicated and passionate South Africans, all of whom have experience in dialogue facilitation and youth development. The organisation’s activities are directed primarily at youth aged between 16 - 19 from a variety of communities in Cape Town.

We are committed to developing ethical, innovative and creative young leaders who value constructive dialogue. We provide opportunities for young people to engage in dialogue about pertinent social issues in groups where several divergent opinions are represented. Furthermore, we aim to assist youth in exploring what it means to be a young leader through discussion and practice.

Urban Transformers and un[convention]al are our main projects. We also design, run and consult for other youth organizations and youth initiatives. To date the organization has had 316 beneficiaries, 128 youth in our Urban Transformers program, 75 youth and 55 adults at our un[convention]al event and 29 facilitators. 

Why do we do this work?

There is a need for the development of creative young leaders in Cape Town
  • To develop active citizens that take responsibility for their actions and communities
  • The voice of the youth is often lost in development initiatives. It is therefore important to harness this resource
  • Leadership and creative thinking is often neglected in formal education and the youth are not afforded sufficient opportunities to engage in this important form of education
  • These skills are vital in numerous disciplines and contexts, and viable leaders are critical to the overall development of South Africa
  • The youth are in a process of formulating and cementing their identity and so are best poised to facilitate the process of change in various communities
There is a need for dialogue amount South African
  • To break-down prejudices which arise from the lack of integration between communities
  • Diversity is a social asset and connections across boundaries are valuable
  •  To build relationships and meaningful bonds
  • To share skills and mobilise resources across diverse communities for collaborative project
  • The need for change and dialogue exists because of the injustices of the past and the entrenched inequalities that exist in the South African context, arising from the Apartheid legacy

The organisation launched its annual flagship program during December 2009. The program involved a residential camp program as well as a longer term follow-up program. The program focuses on working with young adults from various communities in Cape Town, focussing primarily on South African issues.