Since being established in November 2000, Fahmina-institute has been synonymous with activism in social religious studies and supporting marginalised communities. Through the many programs Fahmina runs in the local and wider communities, we strive to create a just social structure, in which every person is empowered and possesses the same opportunities, politically, socially and culturally.
Fahmina has four departments which are responsible for running these programs: Islam and Gender, Islam and Democracy, Islam and Community Empowerment and the Centre for Data, Information and Media.
All our programs are based on the following basic precepts:
- They should be guided by Fahmina’s vision and mission, namely the development and dissemination of critical religious discourse directed towards just (al-‘adalah) and democratic social change and facilitating empowerment and defence of oppressed communities through the strengthening of community participation in the management and exploitation of resources.
- They should be based on the recommendations resulting from preliminary research.
- They should be oriented towards social transformation through a strategic focus on social realities.
- They should be anchored in theological argument based on Islamic intellectual discourse both classical and contemporary.
- They should prioritise the strengthening of three areas:
- Socio-intellectual: programs oriented towards the production of a critical religious discourse and the strengthening of the theology of liberation as the basis of social movements.
- Socio-cultural: programs focused on the development of a community culture oriented towards social change and the creation of social justice.
- Socio-political: programs oriented towards the organisation and empowerment of a number of community groups so that they can become autonomous and capable of lobbying to ensure just public policy.
- Studies and research oriented towards social transformation
- Education oriented towards shaping agents of social change and creating a critical intellectual community that is strong and dynamic.
- The production of research results and critical intellectual works for social change.
- The facilitation of the growth of strategically important social groups that strive for ideals of social justice, democratisation and human rights.
- Public policy advocacy that is sympathetic to oppressed communities in the interests of social justice
