Programme Director;
Trustees of the Nelson Mandela Foundation;
Representatives of the media;
Ladies and gentlemen:
I wish to start by commending the Nelson Mandela Foundation for organising this event, which highlights the significance of the Nelson Mandela International Day; a day that is reflective of the world's response to the values Nelson Mandela epitomised.
The 2014 International Mandela Day is unique in many respects primarily because it will be the first one after we laid Madiba to rest in Qunu.
One can contend that the call to people around the world for support for this campaign has a special meaning this year.
This is all the more reason we have to up the ante, ensuring that this day is imbued with durable meaning that reverberates across time and space.
This is a day that re-inspires all humanity, in that, it says to all of us that we can change the world for the better, in whatever way we can as individuals.
Indeed, with Nelson Mandela having fought for social justice for 67 years of his life, it is not much contributing 67 minutes of our time to a good cause. This would seem an appropriate way to honour the legacy of this icon of our times.
Among others, on this day, we remember the challenges to eradicate poverty, to promote peace and reconciliation in the world and to live together as brothers and sisters, no matter what worldly affiliations seem to divide us.
The International Mandela Day Campaign holds special significance this year, as it marks the fifth anniversary, on the 18th of July. Anniversaries, of course, invite us to celebrate. In equal measure though, they should also demand of us that we stop, take a pause and reflect.
Entailed in this reflection is the imperative to identify the lessons to be learned, weaknesses to be addressed as well as strengths on which we can build as we go forward.
As Madiba said in one of his last public addresses in 2008:
"The world remains beset by so much human suffering, poverty and deprivation. 'It is in your hands' to make of our world a better one for all, especially the poor, vulnerable and marginalised.”
"It is in your hands.” It was this statement by Madiba, which he repeated publicly and privately many times in 2008 and 2009, that led to the adoption of the Mandela Day campaign. Five years later we all have reason to hope that the campaign will become an instrument in giving effect to Madiba's wishes.
The campaign has demonstrated success from a range of perspectives. In this regard, four attributes stand out:
Firstly, Mandela Day reminds us of our public service obligations. It tells those who work in government that they should see themselves as public servants rather than as government officials;
Secondly, Mandela Day promotes a broader ethic of service. It tells us all, in whatever societal spacing or sector we are in, that we find liberation for ourselves only as we take responsibility for the liberation of others;
Thirdly, Mandela Day has an extraordinary capacity to secure cross-sectoral cooperation involving, Government, the private sector and civil society.
Fourthly, Mandela Day addresses one of the key challenges confronting both South Africa and the world, namely alienation. Mandela Day creates an opportunity for both the haves and the have-nots to work together in confronting social ills and building a better world.
Indeed all of us have good reason to support Nelson Mandela International Day and the campaign around it. This, fundamentally, is a call to honour Madiba by changing the way we think and by taking responsibility for making a difference in the world.
One of the distinctive features of the campaign is that it is not prescriptive; it does not tell people how to mark Mandela Day. Nor does it tell them what they should do and where.
The founding rationale of the campaign is that it should open Madiba's legacy to interpretation by people all around the world in their own contexts, and that it should open the legacy to application in widely differing contexts.
So that the call is for individuals and institutions to respond to the needs of their communities in whatever way they can, using whatever means they have. Nonetheless, this year the campaign is emphasizing three themes for consideration:
- Literacy;
- Shelter; and
- Food security.
We know that the most vulnerable are those who are going hungry, who have no proper roof over their heads, who cannot read or write. We also know that so many of our people still find themselves in this position of vulnerability.
This, of course, is not only in South Africa, but the world over. It is a global phenomenon; and all these shortages limit us as human beings. Nelson Mandela International Day reminds us that to go without basic necessities of life is be robbed of your humanity.
Indeed, what dignity do you have left when you are impoverished, when you cannot put food on the table for your family, when you have no shelter over your head and when you have to ability to read and write and are thus locked outside global mainstream society and modernity?
In 2014 let us all support the Nelson Mandela International Day Campaign mindful of both the global contexts and the contexts of our own communities. This is not about do-gooding. It is about building the cultures that will make a difference in the world.
Lastly, I wish to thank the United Nations for declaring 18th of July Nelson Mandela International Day.
It is good to see UN representation here today, and good for us to know that the UN, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the South African government and people are strong Mandela Day partners.
We look forward to the Fifth Anniversary of Nelson Mandela International Day, confident that the resonance of this day will help raise global consciousness to strive for a better world.
Thank you.
