Annual Theme – Radical Love
“In time, we shall be in a position to bestow on South Africa the greatest possible gift – a more human face.” – Steve Biko
Our Constitution is intended to help us build a society based on social justice and human rights, to improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person. The City of Tshwane’s 2055 vision echoes this notion by striving to create a resilient and inclusive city where all citizens enjoy a high quality of life, have access to social, economic and enhanced political freedoms, and participate in the development of the city. For the vulnerable people and communities of Tshwane – people who are homeless, children fighting for survival on the streets, babies who are born on Hatherley Dumpsite in Mamelodi, women who are continued victims of abuse, rape and domestic violence, the 1300 elderly homeless people, the mental health patients from Life Esidimeni – this is not yet a reality.
When we are faced with injustice, we have no other choice than to act.
As a movement, TLF is deeply rooted in the desire to be present and to seek the transformation of the city, engaging death and injustice, to love and journey with the city.
Loving the city is about seeing the city – all its people, places and powers – with renewed eyes, as place of gist and potential, in which we are called to be creators and healers, working for healing, transformation and redemption from that which enslaves the city, to a city expressing greater signs of shalom.
Loving the city – people, streets, buildings – back to wholeness is not just a slogan but a great possibility; In the continued struggles, in the darkness, in all the pain and ugly things, we must celebrate the goodness that exists, the light that is shining, and the lives that have been transformed through radical love.
The word ‘love’ has lost it meaning in our society today. ‘Love’ has been reduced to a mere statement of endearment or to really like something. For the annual theme of 2017, TLF chose “Radical Love” to go back to the roots of: what is love? It is a difficult task to understand the roots of love, as the roots of love is rooted within God’s grace. We discovered to truly love is to journey with people, to listen and learn together, to find answers together. This year, we experienced radical love within compassion, care, sharing and supporting each other.
Download the 2017 Annual Report to find out more about how TLF engaged with Radical Love in 2017
