History of CRC
With the setting up of the Children’s Resource Centre in 1983/4, the building of a national Children’s Movement, a social movement of children we started in 1979, thirty years ago, gained more purpose and momentum.

The idea of starting a social movement of children emerged during the community struggles of the late nineteen seventies and early nineteen eighties in particular around the struggle for an alternative system of education.

A number of Children’s Groups were established in different communities. Eventually these groups, as a collective, called themselves the Children’s Movement.

Over the years the CRC has developed and implemented a number of programmes. These are intended to help create an environment in which the members can find new ways of growing up but also to help them in becoming active participants in all matters affecting their lives.

These programmes include: culture (dance, drama, song, etc.); health (school-based Child-to-Child health centres); media (2 newsletters, radio-programmes, TV and poster-making); campaigns: Anti-Bullying campaign (ABC), the Anti-Racism and Anti-Xenophobia Campaign (ARC/AXR); different projects: education and training, environment and gardening, the co-operatives, Yoga, etc.

With the birth of the new South Africa in 1994, we realized that we needed to look broader that just the children of workers as potential members for our children’s movement.

In 2000 the Youth Section was launched, but it was unable to function effectively.
In 2002 the organization launched the Girl Child Movement.
In 2005 the CRC initiated a Network of children organizations. Today the network, although still at the initial stages, is established with Sunday Schools and a range of children’s organizations.
In 2008 the decision was made to revive the Youth Section.