Following a Satyagrahi's commitment to steadfastness of thought, vision, and action. A tribute to Nelson Mandela

Abstract

Freedom fighter. Terrorist. Guerilla. Statesman. Global icon. Gardener. South Africa’s first black president. These words and phrases have appeared repeatedly in the countless tributes to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013) since his passing. Scholars, activists, and leaders involved in liberation struggles are among those who have, fittingly, likened Mandela to Mahatma Gandhi, especially when speaking to Mandela’s adaptation of the Gandhian notion of satyagraha – an “insistence on truth” or a “truth force” undergirding non- violent civil resistance – in his fight against apartheid. This tribute reflects on what educators can learn from Mandela as untrammeled capitalism spreads across the globe. What lessons can we learn and what duties can we fulfill in terms of forging courses that foster connections and togetherness across differences (of race, culture, gender, nation, and, class)? What will we cultivate? Gain? Lose? Forgive? What will we yield in order to achieve the larger vision of freedom and humanization in an increasingly interconnected, interdependent global context?