Seminar Series

Preparing for the Trip
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“At times I am left wondering [if] the reality I live in everyday is not the reality or the norm for so many school children in regions of the United States as well as other parts of the world…” — Student Traveler, St. John’s in South Africa February 2017


Prior to the trip, participants will engage in a series of informational seminars to learn about the history and culture of South Africa. The goal of this preparatory period is to give the participating youth background knowledge on South Africa and to enhance their awareness of their own individual and group spiritual journeys. The entire series, including the in-country experience, is designed to have them place themselves in the wider global community and to understand the global meaning of hope and faith.

Parishioners and others who will not be traveling with us are welcome to join us for any of these sessions.

June 12, 2016 6-7:30 pm: South African History — Pre-Apartheid

  • Early South Africa
  • South Africa and Europe — Seeking Religious Freedom
  • Pirates and Maps
  • King Shaka Zulu and Ubuntu
  • The Boer Wars

September 25, 2016 6-7:30 pm: South African History — Apartheid Era

  • Why Apartheid?

October 23, 2016 6-7:30 pm: The Anti-Apartheid Movement

  • The role of the US in Apartheid and the anti-apartheid movement
  • The World Wide Divestiture/Sanctions Movement
  • The role of the Anglican Church in the anti-apartheid movement
  • The Black and Colored South African Struggle for Liberation
  • The role of the youth in the anti-apartheid movement
  • Critical Questions Formation and Discussion

November 20, 2016 6-7:30 PM: Post-Apartheid South Africa — Finding Racial Equality

  • Faith and Hope in Action
    • The 1994 election of Nelson Mandela as President, Bishop Desmond Tutu’s Truth and Reconciliation Hearings, Making Three Racial Systems One
  • Critical Questions Formation and Discussion
  • Preparations for In-Country Experience

January 8, 2017: South Africa Today — The Legacies of Apartheid

  • On-going disparities in health, economic class, social welfare and education
    • HIV/AIDS, the townships, the rising expectations and the discontentment of youth
  • The Informal Settlements
  • The Political Arena
    • The ANC and growing opposition parties
  • Faith vs. Hope: Spiritual Liberation
  • Review of Critical Questions
  • Final Trip Preparations
    • Pre-Trip Orientation