Edwin Cleophas
Secretary General for Social Cohesion and Nation Building
Company: South Africa Department Sport, Arts and CultureRole: Session Presenter
Edwin Cleophas is secretary general for Social Cohesion and Nation Building in the South Africa Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. He is a family man with a passion for the youth and the transformation of South Africa. He has been involved in youth development for most of his life and founded Project No Limits, an after-school program, in his local community of Kleinvlei, Eersterivier, after completing his schooling in 2002 as a way of giving back.
Edwin holds a B.Th. degree in theology, an Honours degree in psychology, and a Bpsych Equivalent degree, and he is a registered psychometrist with the Health Professionals Counsel of South Africa. He also has a master’s degree in development studies – social development and is currently enrolled at Stellenbosch University for a Ph.D. in sustainable development focusing on white consciousness and the impact thereof on Black people.
Edwin is recognized as a social justice activist through his organization, The Social Justice Agency (TheSJA). They collaborate with various civil society organizations and corporations to further the social justice project by navigating difficult conversations around race-based disparities in South Africa. Collaborative organizations include the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), Anti-Racism Network (ARNSA), University of Pretoria, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, and Alternative Prosperity, amongst others.
Building partnerships and networking are part of Edwin’s key and critical skills.