Xenophobia - a word most people had never heard of, let alone knew how to pronounce, until 2008 when South Africa experienced a violent outbreak of xenophobic behavior.Soon, it became the ugly buzzword used to describe the intolerance of migrant workers and illegal immigrants - the "hatred or fear of foreigners or strangers or of their politics or culture". Attacks on these foreigners highlighted the underlying social issues causing thousands of people to leave their country in search of a better life in South Africa, as well as the response from struggling communities who see the influx of foreigners as a threat to their own income and job opportunities.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation recently facilitated a series of dialogues in an effort to build social cohesion and understanding between South Africans and foreign nationals. The Foundation has just released a book capturing this two-year-long process, its achievements and challenges.
Read more about key principles such as community ownership, inclusivity, mutual respect and fundamental human rights.
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