ATFH Aims and Objectives
· To share information
Each South African has something to positively contribute to the preservation and promotion of SA IKS in one way or another. Founders of ATFH promote welcoming of relevant information in any form from members of the public or institutions, which can be shared for the benefit of every member and healing in general. Members regularly share information through lectures, workshops, debate forums, internet blog, print and electronic media.
· Networking
ATFH ensures that its members get sufficient opportunities to network with Traditional Practitioners and stakeholders from other formations as well as individuals and institutions which will add value in their practice (in business sense or knowledge wise).
· Traditional Practitioners’ Business Hub
Most Traditional Practitioners lack business know how and some do not realise that their practices may be converted into formal or mainstream businesses. With the ongoing demarginalisation of the practice and public education about healing as well as the existence of high demand and relevance of traditional healing complementing biomedicine or vice versa, ATFH is committed, through available business support platforms, to the adding of business value to practices of its membership.
· Develop and promote acceptable standard of relevant education to members
ATFH seeks to suggest and develop minimum criteria for proficient professional practice. This will go hand in hand with a code of good practice which will be educated to members following a thorough consultative process will traditional healing stakeholders. ATFH would like to strengthen national academic input and create an environment where Government, including its agencies, sister IKS organisations and private sector to play a meaningful role in this endeavour.
· Lobbying
ATFH seeks to lobby for the common interests of its members. It does this by joining forces with organisations involved in traditional practices like THO, THP, etc., Research Institutions, committees and forums concerned with such in order to influence government policy and legislation to favour traditional healing practice.
· To promote research
ATFH wishes to see appropriate scientific research into the safety, validity, usefulness, and efficacy of Traditional Medicine: research that respects the integrity of ATFH and helps gain its wider recognition and acceptance internationally. ATFH will continue to facilitate documentation of information, knowledge, research and so on in collaboration with other willing organisations for the promotion, protection, preservation and advancement of African IKS in general.
· To Educate the Public
South Africans and the whole world need to be educated about Africa Traditional Healing in order to appreciate what it has to offer and has always been offering for many years to the medical fraternity in general. Black South African need to realize that this form of healing is not synonymous to backwardness or poverty and that attempts to improve the standard of the practice in terms of hygiene and the risk of contracting HIV, inter alia, improve each day.
Each South African has something to positively contribute to the preservation and promotion of SA IKS in one way or another. Founders of ATFH promote welcoming of relevant information in any form from members of the public or institutions, which can be shared for the benefit of every member and healing in general. Members regularly share information through lectures, workshops, debate forums, internet blog, print and electronic media.
· Networking
ATFH ensures that its members get sufficient opportunities to network with Traditional Practitioners and stakeholders from other formations as well as individuals and institutions which will add value in their practice (in business sense or knowledge wise).
· Traditional Practitioners’ Business Hub
Most Traditional Practitioners lack business know how and some do not realise that their practices may be converted into formal or mainstream businesses. With the ongoing demarginalisation of the practice and public education about healing as well as the existence of high demand and relevance of traditional healing complementing biomedicine or vice versa, ATFH is committed, through available business support platforms, to the adding of business value to practices of its membership.
· Develop and promote acceptable standard of relevant education to members
ATFH seeks to suggest and develop minimum criteria for proficient professional practice. This will go hand in hand with a code of good practice which will be educated to members following a thorough consultative process will traditional healing stakeholders. ATFH would like to strengthen national academic input and create an environment where Government, including its agencies, sister IKS organisations and private sector to play a meaningful role in this endeavour.
· Lobbying
ATFH seeks to lobby for the common interests of its members. It does this by joining forces with organisations involved in traditional practices like THO, THP, etc., Research Institutions, committees and forums concerned with such in order to influence government policy and legislation to favour traditional healing practice.
· To promote research
ATFH wishes to see appropriate scientific research into the safety, validity, usefulness, and efficacy of Traditional Medicine: research that respects the integrity of ATFH and helps gain its wider recognition and acceptance internationally. ATFH will continue to facilitate documentation of information, knowledge, research and so on in collaboration with other willing organisations for the promotion, protection, preservation and advancement of African IKS in general.
· To Educate the Public
South Africans and the whole world need to be educated about Africa Traditional Healing in order to appreciate what it has to offer and has always been offering for many years to the medical fraternity in general. Black South African need to realize that this form of healing is not synonymous to backwardness or poverty and that attempts to improve the standard of the practice in terms of hygiene and the risk of contracting HIV, inter alia, improve each day.
