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Good
morning Mr. Mandela,
Today
is your 88th birthday - as always on the 18th of July, I
would like to wish you all the best for your health and
wellbeing in the future. I am sure you are going to spend
your well publicized day of honour with lots of friends,
family, children and admirers again, as usual.
This
year for the first time I want to congratulate you in writing,
however - as a German expatriate who has lived in South
Africa for the last 22 years, I feel it is time to show
my appreciation in a more permanent way in return for all
you have done for this lovely country, and my thoughts may
well reflect the sentiments of many fellow citizens.
We
often see on TV, or read in the papers about the well-deserved
honours you receive all over the world for what you have
achieved in your lifetime, and our hearts go out to you
in admiration for a man of such integrity, benevolence and
stamina.
These
notions are shared in all sectors of society, everywhere.
It shows a universal gratitude for your abilities as a statesman
and exemplary qualities of a human being - if it hadn't
been for your leadership, this country and indeed this continent
would be a far less prosperous place to live in. Many crucial
challenges for the transition to democracy in this country
have been overcome, numerous others remain.
I
imagine that it must be very difficult for a man of your
caliber, wisdom and consciousness to watch the seemingly
insurmountable obstacles of poverty, crime and AIDS threatening
the fabric of Africa's culture - and know that a solution
could well be reached.
Fighting
against the symptoms of these excesses, as we do, will only
give them more power and make them worse - we need to work
on the root of these disruptive indicators which are all
based in fear, social and individual separation, and the
greed for power. Violence as a means to assert control will
only temporarily reduce feelings of insecurity and anger.
As long as we think of ourselves as poor and victims of
history, we will continue to experience violent and corrupt
struggles for dominance. As long as we don't focus on service
and contribution instead of segregate and competitive ethnic
cultures we will not feel more secure in our country, community
and family.
Irresponsible,
even reckless behaviour cannot be condoned, of course -
but ignorance needs to be forgiven because the perpetrators
simply don't know better. There is nothing that has to be
changed, except our perception - to recognize that our reality
is a mirror-image of our self. This is the hardest of all
things to do, hence the universal challenge to 'Know Thyself'.
You know this and have acted all you life accordingly with
enormous courage and strength, which is what makes you stand
head and shoulders above other world leaders. If more of
them had your understanding, the world would be a much better
place today. We will eventually get there, but it is going
to take time and effort. In the meantime, you shine as a
beacon to others.
So
today is one more occasion to celebrate who you are, and
I salute you. I wish you, and us, many happy returns of
the glorious day you were born.
Yours
sincerely in gratitude and appreciation,
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18
July 2006
"The
great renewal
of the world
will perhaps consist in this, that man and maid,
freed of all false feelings
and reluctances,
will seek each other
not as opposites,
but as brother and sister,
as neighbours,
and will come together
as human beings."
Rainer Maria Rilke
1875 - 1926
Find
out how life works -
See The
REAL Facts of Life
A matter-of-fact report about the Universal Laws of
Human Nature that are always at work, whether we know
it or not.
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