Valued Citizen’s third art book continues the journey of allowing children and teenagers to express their thoughts and ideas creatively and actively take steps to develop their potential.

We know that social transformation occurs through education, so the Valued Citizens Initiative dared to challenge the many faces of prejudice and discrimination present in our democratic society through the medium of art. Themes on dynamics of cultures were dialogued and debated at primary and high schools in the Free State and Gauteng provinces. This led to the creation of visual concepts which, after extensive educators’ art-training workshops, resulted in these ideas being translated to the art form of collage, charcoal and evocative words.

The result is 42 spectacular visual images which have been published as “Faces and Dynamics of Cultures” – a book which on one hand aims to show the various distinctions people make between individuals on the basis of class or category (such as social, racial, religious, sexual, disability, ethnic and age-related discrimination) and on the other hand, promotes our constitutional values and human rights.

To make a bigger impact the book is divided into seven themes, each one with an introduction by a leading figure on Human Rights or an iconic figure from our achievers landscape. Children’s comments on the themes are also featured and these are followed by the visual arts covering six aspects of the theme.

Children between the ages of 9 and 18 years participated in the project. Thel Foreword is by Dr Z Pallo Jordan and creative direction by Isa Schwartz Gesseau; supported by Nhlanhla Mbatha and Shi-Lyn White.