Dr Elizabeth Hoorn Petersen

Founder and Executive Director

Dr Elizabeth Hoorn Petersen, born and raised on the Cape Flats in Cape Town, is founding Executive Director of the South African Faith and Family Institute (SAFFI). She served as social worker and director (15 years) of St Anne’s Homes for abused women and children and played a key role in helping to establish the Shelter Movement of SA. Her master’s degree in social work which was obtained from the University of the Western (UWC), explored the challenges that clergy experience in addressing domestic violence. Her PhD in Philosophy of Religious and Theological studies from UWC, focused on the role of faith in intervention programs for men who abuse their intimate partners. With a strong Afrocentric sense of the world, and her vast social justice practical experience, Elizabeth advocates for the excavation and centring of culture and faith as resources in the quest to affirm the human dignity of marginalized populations and communities. She promotes the cultivation of Ubuntu and Love, as primary resources in reclaiming the humanity of both oppressor and oppressed. She is skilled in nonprofit organizations, leadership development, and more recently added social history curatorship to her bio. Elizabeth has written and published several academic papers. As an international speaker, Elizabeth has over 30 years’ experience in the GBV sector, ecumenical circles, and inter-faith & multi-religious work. Her influence reaches across religious and non-religious, government and civil society sectors reaching local, regional and international audiences across continents.