PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Kuier magazine and Die Burger newspaper reported in January 2017 of the many passions and involvements of Plettenberg Bay resident and educator Leigh Dunn.

Dunn has recently gained another achievement by completing and submitting his thesis and educational research paper on the challenges in inclusive education in South Africa, which includes various personal instances of challenges and social injustices experienced.

In a time of drastic political and social change, our country’s very first National Social Justice Seminar was held at Nelson Wine Estate in Paarl on 6 and 7 March this year, and Dunn was the only invited delegate from this region.

All provinces were represented, and even other countries. Dunn says he was honoured to be “a voice for the voiceless, a beacon of hope, a mentor to the marginalised, and to be representing a community of people who too often unjustly suffer abuse, neglect and live in so much hopelessness”.

Other issues discussed during the seminar were the changing national legislations, especially in the legal field, which will include alternative judicial resolutions, and will be put into practice within the next two years. Other presenters included former public protector professor Thuli Madonsela, emeritus professor David Butler, advocate Alan Nelson and judge president of the Western Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa John Hlophe.

Dunn’s papers and presentations, which not only focus on education in crisis but on modern-day issues like male abuse and the flaws of psychoanalytic therapies in education have been widely welcomed for publication, even by the SABC, he says.

Dunn says he will continue to plough back into the Southern Cape by being available to do presentations locally when needed. The theme of the seminar was “Empowering others by standing in the gap.” 

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