In using the Freedom Charter in organisational work it is useful to distinguish between two levels:

Firstly, educational and training work among activists and members of our organisations; and secondly, mass organisational work.

Ongoing work at the second level depends on the development of activists and members at the first level. Let us consider each of these two levels at some length.

Education and training

Most of the re-emerging mass-based organisations in our country are extremely young. It is true that they are building upon older traditions of struggle, and, in some cases, upon the experience of older people. But the great majority of our activists and organisations are youthful and relatively inexperienced.

This relative inexperience is manifested in many ways. For instance, in different regions of South Africa organisations have developed to various degrees and out of different conditions. There is still a great deal of unevenness in development on a regional level. This is sometimes reflected in different styles of work and even in misunderstanding between regions.

The broad democratic movement in South Africa has also pulled together activists and members from many different class and ideological backgrounds. Within the ranks of UDF affiliates, for instance, there are activists who have emerged from the black consciousness movement, from the ultra-left Unity Movement or from white liberal circles. Some have been politicised in the trade union movement, others through involvement in housing, anti forced removals, etc. Others are veterans from the 1950s. Still others have come into the struggle in the last few months.

All of this reflects tremendous growth in a period where a new, mass-based unity is being forged. But it would be naive to imagine that this growth would not also involve many unevennesses. Without doubt, one of the main problems is the different levels of ideological development of activists and members of organisations.