The Diplomat
People, composure and the difficult conversation held well.
Nelson Mandela embodies The Diplomat in the deepest sense, holding adversarial forces in productive tension and choosing reconciliation over retribution. Emerging from 27 years of imprisonment without vengeance, he committed to a negotiated transition, leading the multiparty talks that dismantled apartheid and produced the 1994 democratic elections.
“Mandela and for millions around the world, it was a moment of incandescent joy Nelson Mandela left prison free of bitterness and embracing forgiveness. It seemed in those first joyous moments of freedom that the struggle was over, but it had only just begun.”
“A member of the Mediba clan, Mandela, was raised among royalty when he was 12 his father died but his guardian, the tribal king, ensured he received the best education. When he was 23, he defied the king and fled to Johannesburg. In that city, he confronted the ruthless system of segregation called apartheid for the first time.”
“During the long years of isolation here, Nelson Mandela was forced to do hard labor. He lost his oldest son and his beloved mother, each time authorities refused to let him attend the funeral. Through it all, Winnie remained his greatest comfort, but he was haunted by his distance from those he most loved.”
“Mandela also joined the African National Congress or ANC to fight for peaceful change. That commitment quickly took over his life so much so it destroyed his marriage and Mandela divorced. Soon he became a prominent figure in the fight to end apartheid, even risking prison by burning his passport.”
Wikiquote: “Public record read”
LISTEN AT THE SOURCE ↗THE RECORD IS CHECKABLE