Sheena Duncan

The biography of Sheena Duncan is an account of the life of a notable woman, one which reveals the extent of her influence in the quest for justice and peace in South Africa. Its range and depth depict Sheena Duncan's work over four decades in the church, including the South African council of churches, and in civil society organisations such as the Black Sash. Her public life is balanced by her personal story as daughter, wife, mother and friend. Her respect and compassion for others, her faith, her intelligence and her honesty and integrity underpin her opposition to the cruelty of the pass laws and other unjust measures. The book explores her insights into complex issues of rights to land, of militarisation and pacifism, and of devising ways to end violent conflicts - all still of relevance to our society today. Through her own words and the words of others, through vivid memories and stark facts, Sheena emerges as a complex, multidimensional woman - loving, gentle, down-to-earth, flawed, talented, intelligent, strategic, angry, forceful, articulate, hard-working - a product of her ancestry, yet visionary and capable of personal transformation.