First day in Cape Town!!!

Today was our first day in Cape Town!! We started off the day by heading to the University of Cape Town!! The University is right next to the mountains and is gorgeous, we all loved it. Our first meeting at the University was with some neuropsychologists. We learned about research they were doing on guilt and pride complexes, as well as the neurocircuitry of empathy. We also learned about work being done on traumatic brain injuries and substance abuse and addiction. It was really incredible for us to talk to the psychologists and learn about the research. They also told us about how they have implemented their work into South Africa's post Apartheid society. Our next meeting at the University was at the Child's Guidance Clinic, and we met a psychologist there. We learned about psychological work that was done on the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission. We also learned about the psychology of children that undergo trauma in post- Apartheid society. From the University of Cape Town we went to the University of Western Cape, which was also beautiful. There we met with another team of psychologists. At this meeting we discussed community psychology and the positive impacts it can have on society. After this meeting we went to the University's Robben Island museum and archive. The museum was a really awesome experience for us, the exhibits focused on the events of Apartheid and included a diorama of Robben Island. We were also allowed to go into the photo archive of the museum. The photo archive featured an extensive collection of photographs of Nelson Mandela which we were allowed to see, which was an incredible opportunity for us. Our last meeting at the University was with a retired political science professor who was also an anti-apartheid activist. At this meeting we discussed the political, economic as well as health and education legacies of Apartheid. Today was a really incredible experience for all of us, we got a first hand account of the struggles and legacies of Apartheid. We also got to see what South Africans are doing to help combat those legacies and improve their communities and societies.