Equality and Pluralism
After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela negotiated
the dismantling of the apartheid regime in South Africa, settled
an agreement on universal suffrage and democratic elections, and
became the first black president of the country in 1994. When he
entered into office, he was aware of the universal importance of
this success, but he was also humbled by the focus on his person
as a symbol of international and historical dimensions. After
all, during the years 1952-1990, he had made only three public
appearances, and numerous people of different nations had
contributed to the cause. Indeed, Africa had been liberated from
colonialism during his prison years. The truth of the ancient
Bantu adage
umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (we are people
through other people) often came to his mind. And he saw, perhaps
clearer than most of his contemporaries, the inevitability of
"mutual interdependence" in the human condition, that "the common
ground is greater and more enduring than the differences that
divide." The background of the development of this vision is
remarkable and diverse. From his African heritage, from his
country's turbulent history, from his own formal education
in "colonial" schools, and from his vicissitudes in the confines
of Robben Island, Mandela emerged a man with a singular
vision.
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