As President Zuma mentioned in his address to the nation announcing the departure of Madiba: “Nelson Mandela brought us together and it is together that we will bid him farewell.” People as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King have had such a similar, tremendous impact on the world and the struggle for human rights globally, and with his passing we have lost one of the few remaining great statesmen.

His fight for an inclusive South Africa has been an example for countless unrepresented peoples and nations around the world, and his goals of peace, freedom and human dignity led him to become a beacon of hope for many. Under his leadership South Africa took its rightful place on the world stage, having not only changed the image, but also the soul of the nation.

He took the first steps on transforming South Africa to what Archbishop Desmond Tutu has described as a “Rainbow Nation”, a process which UNPO aspires to contribute to for its Members. UNPO was proud to follow in Mandela’s footsteps in our recent conference in South Africa, and will continue to work in his spirit to achieve peace and justice in the world. May his life continue to be an inspiration for all.

Photo by: United Nations Photo