Many countries, international and non-governmental organisations, as well as academic and research institutions all over the world, recently celebrated the centennial of the birth of the great late South African leader Nelson Mandela.
During his lifetime, Mandela became an icon whose fame and status went far beyond the national borders of his country, not only to the rest of his African continent, but to each and every part of the globe.
The significance of Mandela is definitely multi-faceted. He wore many hats and combined many characteristics and qualifications that made him quite unique in the march of humankind in the second half of the 20th century and in the early years of the 21st century.
Nelson Mandela started originally as a freedom fighter in the ranks of the African National Congress (ANC). He proved that he was one who continuously fought for a democratic, just and multi-racial society and country. Despite the civil and political oppression, socio-economic exploitation and deprivation, as well as racial segregation and cultural repression the Africans in South Africa suffered under the “Apartheid” regime, Mandela did not fight for the elimination of the other party, namely the Afrikaans, or the whites in general, but rather for the dismantling of the “Apartheid” regime, and the establishment of a “new” South Africa, based on freedom and democracy; equal citizenship rights among the whites, the Africans, the coloured and the Indians; equality before the law; social justice; economic equity; unity and solidarity of society at large; and free expression of everyone’s culture as long as it does not incite hatred towards the “other.”
Mandela proved also to be a great statesman and politician. When he was arrested and sent into exile on Robben Island in the early 1960s, he did not try to avenge by calling for violence against white civilians, but rather looked, with a far-sighted strategic vision, for the long term interests of his people and country. Whether when on Robben Island or after his release in 1990, Mandela consistently adopted a principled stand, tempered by realism. Although he did not bargain regarding his overall national objectives, he had shown on many occasions a lot of flexibility, willingness to adjust to what exists on the ground, as well as preparedness to adapt to developments and to move from maximalist and immediate demands for change to gradual and incremental ones.
Yet, Nelson Mandela went in his fame and popularity one step further when he was elected president of the “New South Africa.” He insisted to be the president of “all South Africans." To this end, he employed a number of tools and instruments, which led to all South African citizens — whatever their racial origin, colour, tribal affiliation or ideology — genuinely feeling that their country belonged to them all.
Consequently, a sense of ownership of their country developed and became deep-rooted inside each and every citizen. For the benefit of his country, this meant that the whites, coloured and Indians did not feel threatened by the rule of the majority-elected ANC, which was unto itself a multiracial party, but naturally predominantly African. This policy of Mandela also meant that no sweeping nationalisations took place and no deliberate policies aimed at coercing part of the population, particularly the whites or the most affluent among the Africans, were pursued. Mandela proved that he learned the lessons of other previous experiences on the continent and beyond it.
The next significant milestone in the long march of the late Mandela was when his first term in the presidency elapsed and he insisted on maintaining his position of not running for a second term, in order to ensure during his lifetime, and at the height of his popularity, the democratic and peaceful transformation of power in the new multi-racial South Africa. Although he was not the first historical African leader and president to take such a decision, it was a long time since other African leaders took similar decisions — the Senegalese Leopold Senghor and the Tanzanian Julius Nyerere are just two examples in this respect.
This decision turned Mandela into a South African, African, and global leader of legend. From then onwards, Mandela spent a lot of his time mediating different conflicts inside the African continent and beyond it, as well as touring many parts of the world upon invitation from governmental and non-governmental organisations to share the lessons learned from his very rich, long and diverse experience. He also assigned a lot of time to launching and supporting initiatives inside his country aimed at the empowerment of the most vulnerable sectors of society.
However, one could argue with ease that the most outstanding and sustainable landmark made by the late Nelson Mandela, after his voluntary withdrawal from internal South African politics, was taking the initiative of establishing "The Elders," an independent global group of former world leaders whose secretariat is based in London. The group is composed of legendary figures from different parts of the world, each of whom made outstanding contributions in their lives.
"The Elders” includes in its membership, for example, figures such as the former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi, two former United Nations secretary generals: the late Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon. It also includes in its membership the former Irish president and the first United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, former United States President Jimmy Carter, the first female prime minister of Norway and former director general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Gro Harlem Brundtland, former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari, and the famous Nobel laureate, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
"The Elders” as a group has tried to be active since its establishment regarding a number of problems, challenges and crises that humanity has faced. The group attempted to send delegations to visit zones of conflict, to meet with relevant parties and stakeholders, and to issue reports with specific recommendations aimed at achieving world peace and security, as well as justice and welfare for humanity at large.
The above was just an attempt to shed some light on a number of important milestones in the life of the late Nelson Mandela, who became a legend within his lifetime and will continue to be.