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Honor Mandela by carrying on the struggle for justice and peace

Categories: Articles:Human Rights | Published: 13/12/2013 | Views: 1414
Father John Dear's blog from The National Catholic Reporter

With everyone else, I've been mourning, celebrating and reflecting these past few days on the extraordinary life of Nelson Mandela, who died Dec 5. I'm amazed at his political vision; his daring revolutionary commitment; his patient endurance through 27 years in prison; his determination to avoid war and reconcile South Africa upon his release; his persistent forgiveness; his outspoken stance against war, poverty, AIDS and U.S. imperialism; his towering example; and, perhaps most of all, his personal dignity and humanity.



I saw him once, in 1990 in Oakland, Calif., at the end of his national U.S. tour just months after he was released from prison. The Oakland stadium was sold out. It was a beautiful sunny day and the crowd was filled with anticipation. When he walked on stage, the stadium exploded with applause. He gave a stirring speech that was interrupted every few sentences by more applause. His presence was electrifying. I left determined more than ever to do what I could for justice and peace.

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