While in Frankfurt this morning I saw on one of the public video screens that they have here on the U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations that it was Nelson Mandela's birthday.
94th birthday! That is truly remarkable!
A man who has survived apartheid, 28 years in jail, tuberculosis, and has gone on to be an international icon.
There are few people in this current cynical world who inspire much (I did mention Aung San Suu Kyi the other week - how many others can you name?). Mandela is though definitely one of them.
South Africa has still a very long way to go to overcome its many difficulties - widespread poverty, mass unemployment and the AIDS epidemic. We can only wish them well and hope that in the remainder of this century they make true progress in overcoming their problems.
And as a near-nobody amidst the 7 billion plus people on this massively overpopulated planet, I will still join many others in wishing Mr Mandela a happy birthday, with thanks again for setting such an excellent example to us all.
No comments:
Post a Comment