Recommendations towards a Social Sector Summit 2018 This section summarises the section above and provides strategic insights and recommendations for the Social Sector Summit. Recommendation 1: Prepare the Social Sector Summit well The Social Sector Summit is an important opportunity to reignite a constructive working relationship between the civil society sector and the state. It is a serious task and this document attests that the expectations and opinions for the summit are very diverse. We recommend that the summit is a well-prepared intervention. We expect that it has a proper secretariat and that the logistics are organised well in advance to ensure a smooth running of the summit. The Social Sector is very diverse and thought needs to be given how the diversity of the civil society sector can be accommodated. The outcome of the summit focuses on the work necessary to advance transformation and sustainable livelihoods for the majority of South African’s still living in poverty. The content of the summit needs to therefore provide analysis, data and information that is cutting-edge, relevant and recent to advance the conversation. We advise that the agenda is set by government and the civil society representatives equally. Recommendation 2: Civil Society the driver of social transformation Civil society is the key driver for social transformation in South Africa. The Social Sector Summit is an opportunity to redefine the role of civil society and the role of government in relation to the sector. What does it mean for the civil society sector do drive a transformative agenda? Where do we need to have honest introspection about the effectiveness of interventions from both government and civil society? Are we actually advancing transformative changes towards eliminating poverty and reduce inequality by 2030 as stated in the National Development Plan (NDP)? What progress has South Africa made achieving the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030? What is the relation between money spent by the state and money given to NGOs towards effective, sustainable transformation? We propose to shift the conversation about change towards differentiating development and transformation. Development is the global paradigm for change. If we take the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the World Bank Development Indicators, the African Union’s Agenda or South Africa’s National Development plan, all speak to the paradigm of development. What the concept of development seems to imply is that there is a certain direction for change seemingly reinforcing strategies and programming that looks very similar across the world to achieve the desired results of growth and development. Social transformation is less popular and a difficult term as it speaks to a change that is profound, complete and radical. It speaks to disrupting, interrupting and restarting. It challenges us to think upside down and inside out. It requires brutal honesty and clarity. South Africa is in desperate need of transformation to engineer against centuries of institutionalised oppression and dehumanisation. In the South African context, this requires deliberate acts to counter the historical injustices that are still current, the captured and corrupt state institutions and actively participate in the building of a transformed society. We recommend to use the Social Sector Summit as an opportunity to have bold conversations about social transformation, change and measures required to achieving tangible results. 5