South africa
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South africa essay: While Mandela was a great man in the struggle to end Apartheid in South Africa, globally he had very little impact in making the world a freer place.
Throughout 1940- 1995 South Africa was becoming a violent country due to racial segregation known as Apartheid. “The state of being apart” or “apart-hood” was the movement along with the Group Areas Act that legally separated the citizens of South Africa. This idea to geographically separate the races was made by the government in the belief that they were doing the right thing; however, they could not have been more wrong. Apartheid infuriated the majority, eventually creating countless degrees of violence, only being stopped in the early 1990’s by the African National Congress (ANC) under Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela’s leadership through the movement to end Apartheid was evident. His presence, charismatic speeches, and own belief’s in equality, peace, and democracy allowed others to believe in a freer South Africa. Not only did he accomplish a freer South Africa, with the help of many, but he also contributed in building a freer world by his creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), as well as his involvement in peace and social justice.
Firstly, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission within South Africa was founded on similar principals to the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act of 1995 by the new government under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. The idea was to understand and deal with the horrors that accompanied Apartheid by reconciliation between the races, essentially everyone that was involved had to come forth and except the brutality that occurred and only then can the country try to move forward in a positive direction. This more peaceful and justified notion regarding the public hearings of both offenders and victims gathered global attention because of the vast difference- positive- to that of the Nurnberg trials. Creating very similar Commission’s implemented in other countries when they too were faced with post-conflict issues.
Secondly, after Mandela’s time in office he stayed dedicated to achieving peace and justice in South Africa and around the world. For instance, he established the foundation The Elders in 2007. Which was designed to bring a select group of elders in our generation together to fight for human rights. The foundation emphasizes that with the individual efforts of everyone peace and justice will prevail. Another organization that has impacted the world is the Nelson Mandela Foundation. With similar objectives to The Elder foundation NMF is a worldwide organization that strives to educate on, and remember, Nelson Mandela also to continue the promotion of his key values for a society: democracy and human rights.
Contrary to the influence and devotion Mandela had to creating a more peaceful world his global impact could be seen as slim when compared to other countries that faced similar inequality issues. For example, Canada and the Indian Act of 1876, which was an attempt to adapt Canada’s Indigenous to Canadian religion and culture while destroying their own. Or the American Civil War that continued for four years and started due to differences between the Union and the Confederate States of America. These problems and the outcomes of these issues, within specific countries, all played large roles in helping understand inequality and ultimately contributing towards the world becoming a more civil place.
Through the TRC, the support, and the belief Mandela had for social justice and peace, not just in his country of South Africa but also in the world, shows the great man he was; as well as the influence he had globally by inspiring other countries to follow in similar protocols and examples he set. Nelson Mandela was and still is a world wide known name, whether he be related to the ending of apartheid in South Africa or the role he played in tackling global issues and easing human suffering, during and after his reign as president, he was a crucial aspect in making the world a freer and more peaceful place.
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Had Nelson Mandela not been the spokesperson and led the charge for equality in South Africa how would things still be different today?
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People respond in accordance to how you relate to them. If you approach them on the basis of violence, that's how they'll react. But if you say, 'We want peace, we want stability,' we can then do a lot of things that will contribute towards the progress of our society.
- Nelson Mandela |
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