A while ago United States President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at a Facing History and Ourselves event in which they talked about the importance of the work of Facing History. Facing History and Ourselves is one of the partners in the South African programme Facing the Past - Transforming our Future.

The First Lady has been a board member of Facing History in Chicago for years and knows the work well. Both she and the President have honoured Facing History with their presence at benefit dinners. Since 2003 Shikaya has been working with Facing History and the Western Cape Education Department to help teachers use the Facing History approaches and methodologies in their classrooms to develop young South Africans who are responsible, caring, critical thinking and aware individuals. So far we have worked with over 100 teachers here in the Western Cape.

This year another 80 teachers will be joining the programme which will see them helping their learners to link the past, theirs and that of others, to the moral choices they make today.