What do the values of the community sector look like in practice?

Within these organizations, we were able to appoint people on the basis of their ability rather than race.
We could use the resources of the organization to support those with the greatest need, rather than according to stratified entitlements based on race. This meant a direct challenge to the regime as grants were given on a racial basis. We were even expected to allocate motor vehicles which staff members used according to race, something we refused to do. We provided services in communities where none existed.
We employed strategies, most notably community development practice, to enable people to have a voice, to organize and to take action on their own behalf. This is hardly radical, but in the context of South Africa at that time, this was considered to be treason and activists were punished with imprisonment. Many of the young people I worked with in the late 70s and early 80s became leaders of the School Boycott movement in the 80s. Civil disobedience was clearly part of our practice.
We created links and alliances with other organizations which supported our ideals – such as trade unions and internationally with funders who were prepared to support this work.