There is no need for me of all people, in this forum of all places to inform anyone about the meaningful life of Nelson Mandela. His life has touched all of us, even those who don’t even know it or think about it. Nelson Mandela stood for and sacrificed most of his life for freedom for everyone.
Sometimes freedom is given freely and automatically at birth, like it is here. Other times it is given after much sacrifice, like it is in other places. Those places still exist – Somalia, Syria, North Korea and many other parts of the world. You don’t get to own a home in these places. You don’t even get to dream that.
I grew up during the ’60s. I am often chided for it. The heroes of this era were people whose lives left an impression on all of us and remain with us today. Among them were Dr. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy as well as those whose influence came before the decade arrived, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein. From these heroes we had the tools to create social change and encouraged people such as Pierre Trudeau, the Beatles, the Chicago Seven and the many other individuals, groups and events that shaped our lives.
Two of those people were Nelson Mandela and John Diefenbaker. During the ’60s, one was declared a great statesman. The other was thrown in jail for 27 years.
In 1961 South Africa applied for entry to the Commonwealth as a republic. Its membership was endorsed by a number of member nations such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The decision came down to Canada and Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. “Dief the Chief” stood up and said that Canada would not welcome the membership of the republic of South Africa unless equality and freedom was extended to all people. South Africa declined to agree and with that, Canada effectively tossed them out of the Commonwealth. Many have said that it was Diefenbaker’s finest hour.
In 1962 Nelson Mandela was part of a group protesting for civil rights and equality for all. He was arrested and charged with conspiracy to overthrow the government. When he was finally released in 1990, Mandela did not live an embittered life, but continued to strive for the abolishment of apartheid and he accomplished this lifelong goal peacefully. He was elected president of South Africa in 1994.
Today South Africa is a free society. Today home ownership is available to all in all parts of the country. The dream of home ownership is free to everyone in the country, just like it was in Canada in 1961 and remains so today.
John Diefenbaker passed away in 1979. A statue of him on Parliament Hill in Ottawa depicts him with the Bill of Rights under his arm.
On June 7, 2001, Nelson Mandela became an honourary Canadian citizen in recognition of his “great moral leadership to South Africa and to all humanity.”
They should inspire all of us to do everything we can to promote freedom and peace throughout the world. How can we let this go on in North Korea, Syria, Somalia and so many other places in the world without protest (peaceful demonstration and protest)?
Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email [email protected].
