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Happy birthday, Mr. Mandela |
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Written by The Ottawa Citizen
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Sunday, 20 July 2008 |
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Mr. Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday Friday. The tributes were rushing in. But so were the laments about the current state of South Africa. The rainbow nation is suffering from internal violence and crime. Its foreign policy, especially its coddling of Robert Mugabe, is bizarre and harmful.
It's fair to question why Mr. Mandela has not been more strident in his criticisms of the tyrant; his remarks in June about the "tragic failure of leadership" in Zimbabwe were unusual enough to make headlines. Then again, it might not be fair to ask this one old man to be all things to all people in southern Africa.
Mr. Mandela is a human being, imperfect and fallible. But he remains a hero. Too many heroes fall off their pedestals (his former wife Winnie is an example). Mr. Mandela never has.
And that might be his most impressive accomplishment: the ability to maintain a connection with ordinary people in all countries. Canadians, even Canadians who know nothing about South Africa, know Mr. Mandela's face. They hang on his every word. Not only is he an honorary Canadian; he is also a champion of our values of tolerance and diversity. He embodies the civility that is supposed to be the quintessential Canadian quality.
His birthday provided an occasion for predictable messages from celebrities. (Among the tributes at happybirthdaymandela.com is a grating serenade by Bono and the Edge, and a nice note from the Clintons.) A concert was held in his honour in London in late June.
But the messages from ordinary people are far more interesting than the celebrities or the parties. There are messages on the website praising Mr. Mandela for showing the way to peace in Northern Ireland, for example, and thanking him for inspiring the sender to live a better life. One, apparently from a child in England, promises to make him a birthday cake.
It's that personal connection with people in all countries that really explains Mr. Mandela's power. His story is proof that darkness dissipates. For people struggling for freedom, his life is a reason to keep hoping and keep fighting. In his birthday message, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for "a new age of Mandela, a new age of global justice." He is the inspiration for political prisoners and their families; Aung San Suu Kyi is often called the "Mandela of Burma." His name has become shorthand for any democratic leader willing to risk everything for his or her country.
While his legacy to the field of international human rights is undisputed, his political legacy to his own country is still a little hazy. He, with many others, fought for freedom and won it. And as president, he did many things right -- including his decision to step down after one term. But he wasn't able to save South Africa from its demons. That will have to be someone else's task.
In the meantime, millions of people wished Mr. Mandela many happy returns on his birthday.
The world still needs him.
The Ottawa Citizen
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )
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