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Unisa online - UCAP's involvement in the North West community

UCAP’s involvement in the North West community
The UCAP team and other stakeholders before embarking on North West workshop From Left: Cheryl Easterbrook, Juan Nel, Dawie Nel, Precious Mubiana, Mandisa Magwaza, Theo Sandfort, Sanele Mdanda, Keit Shirinda-Mthombeni, Daniel Knobel, Eileen Rich, Thandeka Tshabalala, Senkhu Maimane & Boshadi Semenya

The Unisa Centre for Applied Psychology (UCAP) recently showed its dedication and commitment towards involvement in South African communities in the start-up research workshop that took place from 2 to 6 February 2009 in Mafeking, North West province.

The aim of the workshop was to meet with the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) members of the North West province in order to determine what life is like for members of this community and to identify opportunities for empowerment. The workshop marked the start of a larger research project funded by SANPAD entitled "Empowerment of emerging South African LGBT communities: the North-West province as case study".

A number of stakeholders attended the workshop as representatives of their respective organisations and governmental departments. The main representatives of the LGBTI community consisted of Gay Umbrella (a new member of the South African LGBT Joint Working Group) and its members, as well as OUT LGBT Well-being (an NGO concerned with LGBT research and development). The Department of Local Government, the Office of the Premier, students from the North West University and the Youth Commission also attended. Other stakeholders such as the Department of Health, Love Life, the SAPS (South African Police Services), the Commission for Gender Equality and the Association for Disabled Persons (DAP) provided valuable input at the workshop.

The workshop was facilitated by members of UCAP and the research will be conducted over a period of two years, with collaboration between a number universities and their students (eg Wits University, Unisa and Pretoria University) as well as research expertise from the University of Amsterdam/Columbia University (Prof Theo Sandfort).

LGBTI or sexual minority groups face prejudice and discrimination, Continued research in this sector is therefore vitally important. It is hoped that the research in the North West province will influence decision makers and policies in order to advocate for change and empowerment, and to facilitate awareness among the general population.

UCAP aims to promote the application of psychological knowledge in the solution of human problems and the development of human potential through education, training and development, psychotherapy and counselling, process facilitation, continued professional development and two main focus areas in research, namely, (1) sexuality: levels of empowerment among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in South Africa, and (2) the National Victim Empowerment Programme which focuses on trauma intervention and management for crime victims.