Rekindling Compassion

　　South African President Jacob Zum are flected on Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s passing awaylate on December 5， 2013， saying， “Our nation haslost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father.”

　　South Africa， Africa and the whole world expresseddeep grief at the passing of the 95-year-old formerleader. Chinese President Xi Jinping， Premier Li Keqiangand the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs senttheir messages of condolences to the South Africanpeople； Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao attendedMandela’s funeral； U.S. President Barack Obama andUN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon delivered specialstatements. Media throughout the world have beendevoting time and space to reporting Mandela’s legendarylife and his outstanding contributions.

　　The world has shown such an outpouring of respectnot just because Mandela is the founder of the democraticSouth Africa， but also due to the man’s spirit andattitude of tolerance. His outlook stood beyond thelimits of ordinary politicians， reflecting the commonspiritual foundation of human beings. Mandela hasfulfilled his 95-year-long journey. But his story andspirit will last forever. People will remember Madiba(Mandela’s Xhosa clan name) as a historically great manand a leader of Africa and the world.

　　Realizing racial equality

　　Mandela was born in a tribal chief family in Transkeion July 18， 1918. Seeing and sensing black SouthAfricans’ painful and miserable lives under a racistwhite regime， Mandela refused to accept the assignmentof chief heir， swearing to devote himselfas a soldier for national liberation instead of beinga chief of a tribe crushed under racial repression.In 1944， 26-year-old Mandela joined the AfricanNational Congress of South Africa (ANC， today’sruling party of South Africa)， and became chairmanof the ANC Youth League in 1950. By the endof 1952， he successfully organized and led theDefiance Campaign， which opposed racist legislation.

　　Though winning the respect and support ofblack South Africans， he was arrested by the whiteSouth African regime.

　　Mandela spent 27 years in prison from August1962 to February 1990. His suffering inspiredinternational society to put pressure on the regimeof white South Africans； his indomitable fightingspirit encouraged black South Africans to continuethe campaign for racial equality until ultimate victory.

　　And despite the ruthless persecution againsthim and his family， Mandela did not emerge fromprison with a spirit of hate and revenge， but ratherappealed to put hate aside. He cherished the idealof realizing a democratic society， while criticizingany form of racial discrimination， whether it camefrom whites or blacks.

　　He promised that the ANC would never takevengeance against white racial discrimination of thepast after it became the ruling party. Mandela madea statement at court on April 20， 1964， when he wassentenced to life imprisonment， “During my lifetime Ihave dedicated myself to this struggle of the Africanpeople. I have fought against white domination， andI have fought against black domination. I have cherishedthe ideal of a democratic and free society inwhich all persons live together in harmony and withequal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to livefor and to achieve. But if needs be， it is an ideal forwhich I am prepared to die.”

　　Mandela iterated in his decades-long anti-racismmovement that the campaign for national liberationis not a fight against any organization or race，but a war against a system of oppression. Thus， headjusted the ANC’s strategic guideline and tactics，triumphing in the country’s non-violent transformationthrough peaceful negotiation and reconciliation.

　　For this， he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prizein 1993 together with then South African PresidentFrederick Willem de Klerk.

　　Everlasting spirit

　　Mandela was popularly elected as the first blackSouth African president in April 1994 in the firstever presidential election in South African history.He refused to take a second term when his firstterm ended in June 1999， setting an example for hissuccessors and other African leaders while cementingthe democratic constitutional basis of the newSouth Africa. Mandela’s conception of toleranceand reconciliation and his insistence on building ademocratic country based on racial equality formedthe Rainbow Nation.

　　The concept of reconciliation， which calls for forgivenessand tolerance， is the essence of Mandela’sspirit. Mandela said upon his release in February1990 that if he couldn’t leave pain and hatredbehind， he would still essentially be in prison. Histolerance taught the world a lesson in forgiveness.South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu， anotherNobel Peace Prize winner， called Mandela a globalsymbol of reconciliation.

　　Mandela established the Truth and ReconciliationCommission in November 1995. The commissiontargeted the realization of reconciliation， notrevenge， through identifying the truth of apartheid.The Mandela spirit is not only appropriate for solvingdeep-rooted racial conflicts， but also settlement ofany conflict and dispute in the world.

　　Mandela was not obsessed with power， asevidenced by the fact that he resigned the post ofpresident after just one term. But he never stoppedcontributing to world peace. He mediated the civilwar in Burundi to push forward peace in Africa. Healso established foundations， so as to build schoolsin rural areas and to fight AIDS， which plagues andseriously hinders the economic and social developmentof the continent.

　　Mandela’s spirit and influence have spread to thewhole world， and he has become a symbol that willlast forever. The 64th UN Assembly passed a resolutionin 2009， appointing July 18 – Mandela’s birthday– as Nelson Mandela International Day to recognizehis contribution to world peace and freedom.

　　UN Secretary General Ban said， when addressingNelson Mandela International Day on July 18， 2009，“Through long years in prison， he maintained asteadfast belief in justice and human equality. Uponhis release， he reconciled with those who persecutedhim most. And he led the way toward a democratic，multi-racial South Africa. To this day， he workstirelessly for peace and human dignity throughoutthe world. His engagement in the fight against AIDSbroke new ground against stigma. He is， in short， anexemplary global citizen.”

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