Thirty Years of the Freedom Charter

The Freedom Charter adopted by thousands of delegates at the Congress of the People on June 26, 1955, marked the first time in South African history that the unempowered majority set forth a broad and collective vision of an alternative society. Suttner, a law professor at the University of Witwatersrand, and Cronin, a philosophy professor at the University of Cape Town, tell the story of this ""people's document'' in the words of those who participated in its creation. They trace its originsfrom the volunteers who collected grievances and demands to the meeting of the congress and its aftermath when 156 leaders were arrested and charged with treason. Exploring the Freedom Charter's relevance today, the editors maintain that the charter remains a meaningful political document. (May)