Reflections on Nelson Mandela How could we let this newsletter go without a thought for the late and great Nelson Mandela? I was not one of the lucky ones…lucky enough to have met the man in person so I have no personal stories to relate, and I feel that there is no need for a biography of his life which most of us already know, and if not, will have had access to through the saturation coverage of his life and death in recent days. Nonetheless, I would like to mention a few of the things about the man which left an indelible impression upon me… The way he learned Afrikaans, the language of his oppressor, so that he could befriend his guards in the prison on Robben Island. These guards were known to be the hardest racists, but Mandela set about learning their language and history to that he could understand their hidden fears and befriend them. With alarm, the authorities noticed the guards softening and they were regularly replaced! According to Mandela “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language that goes to his heart.” The courage he had to stand up for what he believed in although he stood, relatively speaking, alone….most of the world had tolerated and acquiesced with the abhorrent apartheid regime in South Africa for almost 50 years before it eventually ended in 1994. It is difficult to be the lone voice, the one marching out of tune…when standing up against injustice at home or abroad. Would that we all had a little more Mandela courage. His eternal optimism…he had an unshakable belief that one day apartheid would be beaten, so much so that he jokingly referred to his prison guards as his ‘Guard of Honour’, which, of course they did one day become! How he never lost his sense of humour, clearly evident on meeting the Spice Girls (for our younger readers, these were the biggest girl band in the world at the time!). Asked how he felt to meet the band, the 79-year old Mandela responded “I don’t want to be emotional but this is one of the greatest moments of my life”. Many of the journalists were taken aback at this response from a man who had spent 27 years in prison until they noticed the twinkle in his eye! His dance moves!! By the time you read this, Nelson Mandela, Madiba, will be resting in the small, hilltop graveyard of his native village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape. The long walk to freedom is over. There is a saying in human rights education that whenever you think one person cannot make a difference in the world all you need do is whisper the name ‘Nelson Mandela’. I believe that there is a little bit of Nelson Mandela in all of us. He saw it in other people…that good part that wants to stand up against injustice but is scared or doesn’t know what to do, thinks we are not
good enough, not intelligent enough, will appear stupid or will achieve nothing. We are so lucky that we lived in a time with a man who could see that little bit of humanity in everyone. He listened with respect to the opinions, desires and fears of his enemies, but reached out and touched the goodness that was within them and brought them with him to create a new South Africa and give a conscience to the world. Ar Dheis Dé Go Raibh A Anam…May He Rest In Peace. Gearóidín O’Dwyer
Madiba Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a courageous, forgiving, compassionate, wise and inspirational man whose conviction and beliefs led him to spend most of his long life fighting for basic human rights for all South Africans. Because of this he spent twenty seven years in prison. Newpark has a strong link to South Africa, having schooled the children of the late Kadar Asmal
(Mandela’s friend, Education Minister and antiapartheid activist) children and in the last seven years we have had two school tours to South Africa in 2006 (Rugby and Hockey) and 2008 (Township rehabilitation project). During these tours the students got a strong sense of the inequality in South Africa and were inspired to do fundraising for various organisations in the country. I have always been impressed with Newpark students who are willing to help others and make a difference to other people’s lives. Madiba made a difference to millions of people. Newpark students could do too. “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” — Nelson Mandela I will never forget the day Mandela was released from prison; it was a beautiful sunny February day in South Africa. I was on a school camp and when we heard it on the radio, it was absolutely incredible. From that point everything changed: multiracial schooling, democratic election, equal rights for everyone. There was such a sense of hope. Sadly things haven’t changed for all South Africans since then. It is slowly changing but the legacy of Apartheid will be around for a long time. However the legacy of this great man will be around for eternity. There will never be a leader quite like him again. Cathy Devis
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