{"id":192147,"date":"2018-07-17T13:44:23","date_gmt":"2018-07-17T08:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=192147"},"modified":"2018-07-22T00:01:03","modified_gmt":"2018-07-21T18:31:03","slug":"mandelas-legacy-for-reconciliation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/mandelas-legacy-for-reconciliation\/","title":{"rendered":"Mandela\u2019s Legacy For Reconciliation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Chandrika+Kumaratunga\">Chandrika Kumaratunga<\/a> &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is an honour to be a part of the commemoration of the universal symbol of freedom, ethnic harmony, unity, and reconciliation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Nelson+Mandela\">Nelson Mandela<\/a> on the centenary of his birth anniversary. Mandela\u2019s legacy has inspired not only South African society damaged by Apartheid but also every mass movement around the globe that fought for human freedom and dignity by celebrating ethnic diversity as a virtue that helps override the challenges.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/nelson-mandela-and-chandrika-kumaratunga.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-192153\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/nelson-mandela-and-chandrika-kumaratunga.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"841\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/nelson-mandela-and-chandrika-kumaratunga.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/nelson-mandela-and-chandrika-kumaratunga-300x189.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 841px) 100vw, 841px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>He was committed to democratic values and advocated human dignity and equity. He personally experienced the pain of social repression. Consequently, he identified and addressed the root causes of human suffering.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Initially as a freedom fighter, then as a politician, eventually as a charismatic, world-renowned statesman who initiated an influential international movement, The Elders, dedicated to social justice and the dignity of humanity, Mandela showed us through personal example the qualities of true leadership. He has demonstrated the importance of unity among diverse communities. He has proved by actions that, \u201cno power on this earth can destroy the thirst for human dignity.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Mandela has edified us during the debate in South Africa\u2019s Parliament while speaking on the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on February 1999, \u201cReconciliation \u2026 [is] inseparable from the achievement of a non-racial, democratic, and united nation affording common citizenship, rights and obligations to each and every person, and respecting the rich diversity of our people\u201d.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Mandela was one of the greatest human being of our time. Not only he fought for what was right. He was amazingly forgiving his enemies.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>As a nation emerging from an armed conflict, we need to to work tirelessly together to overcome the multiplicity of challenges facing us. We have many lessons to be learned from Mandela\u2019s legacy. As he told us, \u201creconciliation requires that we work together to defend our democracy and humanity proclaimed by our constitution\u201d. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Let us learn, understand and transmit to succeeding generations the timeless legacy Mandela left us and march undaunted toward our goal of a united, strong and prosperous nation.<\/p>\n<p><i>*Message by Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Chairperson of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR)<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":333,"featured_media":61497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-192147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - 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