Originally published on the CGS blog on December 12, 2013.
Without a doubt, Nelson Mandela was and will remain a giant in the history of the 20th century. With his passing at the age of 95, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on what he meant to many and the way that we remember him. Mandela wore many hats. He was an activist and revolutionary; freedom fighter or terrorist according to the U.S. government; prisoner and president; and a hero to many, many people.
But no one is perfect. This is true of private citizens just as it is true of those we hold up as heroes. Nelson Mandela was not perfect. He was not a saint. He was a human being, like the rest of us. In his death we should not put him on a pedestal but instead reflect on his successes and learn from his mistakes.
To use a worn out phrase, actions speak louder than words. Unfortunately in national and international politics there are plenty of leaders who have more than enough words but too few actions. It is one thing to advocate non-violent democratic transitions and non-retaliation against bitter enemies. It is quite another to follow through on these words with deeds. And that is the truly unique aspect of Mandela’s legacy.
In Mandela’s words, “[i]f you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” It is a deceptively simple concept. Instead of recriminations, retributions, and revenge, a conflict can only be solved through cooperation. And Mandela lived this principle. He negotiated with the government that jailed him and employed former Apartheid functionaries. But he also implemented truth and reconciliation commissions absolving many of their Apartheid crimes only with a full accounting and recognition of what they had done.
Mandela pursued a path of cohesion rather than division all without compromising the principal that all of his fellow South Africans, black and white, must live in an equal society. He did not seek revenge but demanded the guilty accept responsibility for their actions. As a result, we can look to Mandela, and the transition out of Apartheid in South Africa, as an example of the triumph of both idealism and pragmatism in post-conflict situations.
But there is more to Mandela’s legacy. He remained committed to human rights through out his life and a critic of abuses. As he wrote in 1995: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” This is a lesson we all should remember. I’m reminded of Martin Luther King’s words: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Mandela was a fierce critic of human rights abuses by others, including the United States. He criticized the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the War on Terror, and racism in the United States. Mandela’s refusal to accept these hypocrisies is a reminder we all need to think about our own complacency in injustice before accusing others.
Finally, it may seem like a small thing, perhaps particularly for those of us who live in countries with democratic traditions, but one of the most important aspects of Mandela’s legacy is his promise and follow through to serve only one term as president. Despite his popularity and access to the apparatus of state power, Mandela served his term and relinquished his position to the democratic process. This sets an impressive precedent for any leader who mistakenly believes that maintaining power for life is compatible with building modern, democratic societies.
As I stated at the beginning, Mandela was not a perfect person. He was a little late to address the AIDS epidemic and his views on LGBT rights, like the views of many people, needed time to evolve. Mandela also remained committed to South Africa’s relationships with leaders such as Muammar Qaddafi. But we don’t need perfect people. We need imperfect women and men who, despite their flaws, demand that the ideals we hold, democracy, human rights, and equality, become reality. That, in many important ways, is Nelson Mandela’s enduring legacy.
