Nelson
Mandela “the greatest father there ever was”. Photo from
Dylan Martinez, Reuters File Photo
The
great man’s marathon is finally run. Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013) has entered
the pantheon of 20th century greats. Preceded by Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela now takes his place
alongside them in the great beyond.
I concluded
High
up in the Rolling Hills with the following words:
Eventually, mountains of baggage that had
held us back are removed, and progress is achieved. In taking a stand, slavery
was nominally abolished, suffrage was established, and basic universal human rights
and freedoms fostered. People can
find a true voice, child and spousal abuse can
be stamped out, apartheid, segregation and racism can be eradicated, people of different religions can live side by side, biodiversity can be conserved, nature can be respected, and, finally even the shameful
stain of war can be wiped off the
face of the earth. This can likely only be achieved if the reins of our affairs
are handed over to nurturing women, before it’s too late. “If we are going to have a future, it has to be a womanly future”,
as Vandana Shiva says. Shining beacons of hope like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin
Luther King, Nelson Mandela have been rare among men, true visionaries who dreamed
such things and acted fearlessly on their dreams. Where are the enlightened
leaders of today?
A
human being is part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time
and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something
separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This
delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and
to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free
ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all
living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a
human being is determined by the measure and the sense in which they have
obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner
of thinking if humanity is to survive. (Albert
Einstein, 1954)
Nelson Mandela’s
selfless life is testimony to the fact that progress on many fronts is indeed possible.
His countless words and deeds of conciliation did move mountains. He was an exceptional man who restored a level
of hope and belief for people in South Africa and around the world. He has set the table for generations to
come.
