Happy Birthday, Madiba

Today is Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday, a day of notable celebration in South Africa. Mandela, affectionately known by his nation as Madiba, will have his birthday celebrated by the entire country as well as in many places around the world. As I write this, 'Madiba's Birthday Party' is being televised live for all South Africans to watch; in fact, the children at Refilwe were invited and are attending the party here in Johannesburg.

Nelson Mandela almost singlehandedly led South Africa through one of its most tumultuous periods. Imprisoned for life because activism against the apartheid regime, he chose to dedicate his life to the reconciliation of his nation. Rather than promoting violent revolution against the apartheid government, he sought instead a path of negotiation and communication. In the early 90s, this approach enabled him to convince the president of the day, F.W. Klerk, to unban Black political organisations and release political prisoners. Mandela was released from prison in 1991, after 17 years' imprisonment.

Leading the ANC to victory in 1994, Madiba became South Africa's first black president. 15 years later, although retired from politics, he continues to play a vital role as a symbol of peaceful progress and hope for a nation plagued by ongoing social difficulty. There is genuine affection in this country for Mandela, evidenced by the way people speak of and honor him. As we learn more about the role he played in South Africa's history, it is clear to us that he is one of those men who, through persistence and commitment to his cause, actually changed the world. It is because of his leadership that we can be in SA today, working alongside and empowering those who were so destroyed by the system he fought so doggedly against.

Happy Birthday, Madiba.