PsySSA Commemorates Day of Reconciliation – 16 December 2025
PsySSA Commemorates the Day of Reconciliation
On 16 December, South Africa observes the Day of Reconciliation – a day that calls on all who live in this country to reflect deeply on our shared history, acknowledge past injustices, and actively commit to building a just, inclusive, and united society.
The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) marks this day as an important moment for reflection on the psychological legacies of colonialism, apartheid, and structural inequality, and on the ongoing work required to heal individual and collective wounds. Reconciliation is not a passive process; it is an intentional, ethical, and sustained engagement with truth, accountability, dignity, and human rights.
From a psychological perspective, reconciliation requires creating spaces where lived experiences are recognised, voices historically silenced are centred, and trauma – both historical and contemporary – is addressed with care, cultural humility, and scientific rigour. PsySSA recognises the critical role psychology plays in facilitating dialogue, promoting empathy, addressing intergenerational trauma, and supporting social cohesion in a society still marked by profound inequality.
On this day, PsySSA reaffirms its commitment to:
- Advancing human rights and social justice, in line with the South African Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
- Transforming psychological knowledge and practice so that it is responsive to the realities of all communities in South Africa;
- Encouraging ethical, inclusive, and contextually relevant psychological praxis that contributes to healing, dignity, and well-being;
- Promoting reconciliation as an ongoing process, requiring honesty about the past, responsibility in the present, and collective imagination for a more equitable future.
Reconciliation is not achieved through symbolism alone. It demands action, accountability, and a willingness to listen, learn, and change. As psychologists and psychological practitioners, we carry a particular responsibility to contribute meaningfully to this process—through our research, teaching, clinical work, advocacy, and engagement with communities.
PsySSA calls on its members and the broader society to use this Day of Reconciliation not only as a moment of remembrance, but as a renewed commitment to building relationships rooted in respect, equity, and shared humanity.
Together, through ethical and socially responsive psychology, we can contribute to healing the past and shaping a more just future.
