Nelson Mandela in the eyes of Filipino human rights advocates

(Updated 11:38 a.m., June 27) - South African civil rights leader Nelson Mandela has inspired generations all over the world, including Filipinos.

 

 

Mandela should be seen not only as an icon, but "a beacon of hope," said human rights lawyer Harry Roque.

 

"Isa (si Mandela na) leading testament sa kasabihang 'If there's a will, there's a way,'" Roque said in a phone interview with GMA News Online.

 

Roque said the Philippines would do well to learn from Mandela, and called him an excellent example of "full commitment to the principle of equality."

 

He noted that Mandela witnessed many human rights violations, but the South African leader pursued an unwavering commitment to justice that should be emulated by every Filipino.

 

"Ang kulang sa atin ay ang paninindigan sa role ng ating pakikibaka," Roque said.

 

"Si Mandela isinabuhay niya ang commitment sa protection and promotion ng human rights," he also said.



Sense of humanity

 

Mandela's life behind bars and beyond prison also inspired ex-political detainees Satur Ocampo and Isagani Serrano.

 

"Nelson Mandela's lifetime dedication to the liberation of the South African people from racial discrimination, oppression and exploitation — for which he was imprisoned for 27 years — has inspired me no end," said Ocampo, a founding member of the radical group Kabataang Makabayan, and one of the founders of the National Democratic Front (NDF) a year later.

 

Ocampo, who was captured in 1976 and detained until 1985, said he admired Mandela's "sterling sense of humanity and humility — generosity in victory by espousing a process of national reconciliation with the former white rulers based on the latter's acknowledgment of accountability for their crimes against the people, aptly documented by an independent Truth Commission."

Meanwhile, Serrano shared how he was inspired by Mandela's capacity to forgive.

“Mandela's humility and big heart were the things that hit me the most,” said Serrano, who was a political prisoner for seven years. “I spent quite a bit of time to get into the shoes of my torturers and jailers in Fort Bonifacio and Camp Crame, and try to understand what moves them, their cares, fears, hopes, and dreams. There's more that binds than divides us,” he said.

 

Mandela's deep and comprehensive understanding and analyses on the concepts of human rights, peace and democracy have made him one of the global leaders to emulate, a fact not lost on Tinay Palabay, Secretary General of the human rights group Karapatan.

 

Palabay said that Mandela became a global icon through his ideas, which were based on his people's experiences and lessons. "These ideas and the African people's struggles against apartheid, colonialism, neo-colonialism, and for freedom are the best legacies of Mandela for the Filipino people and the whole world," Palabay told GMA News Online.

 

 

But if Filipino human rights advocates look up to Mandela, the peace icon looked up to Pinoy icons too.

 

Mandela had previously expressed admiration for Filipinos such as former president Corazon Aquino and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. 

 

"My father has a respect for anybody like Manny who stands up and takes a stand and is willing to serve his people, because that is what he (Mandela) represents," his daughter Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane said in February 2011. 

 

During his official visit to Manila in 1997, Mandela paid tribute to Aquino in his speech at the state banquet hosted by then president Fidel Ramos.

"In bringing unity and promoting democracy in your country, in demonstrating the quality of leadership that women can give both in times of peace and in times of struggle, she became a symbol of inspiration in our country as well," he said.

 

As former Foreign Affairs secretary Dr. Alberto G. Romulo said in 2009, Aquino and Mandela were among the icons whose inspiration went far beyond their own communities. 

 

"You do not need to be an Indian to be inspired by Mahatma Gandhi; you do not need to be an American to be inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.; you do not need to be a South African to be inspired by Nelson Mandela or a Burmese to be inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi. And you do not need to be a Filipino to be inspired by Corazon Aquino. For Corazon Aquino—and Mahatma Gandhi, MLK Jr., Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi- all belong to the ages—and to all the peoples of the world," he said.

 

Lessons from Mandela

 

Meanwhile, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) said the Philippines can learn from Mandela's unwavering stance against discrimination and oppression.

 

"(Mandela) should be remembered as a leader that is consistent in his fight against any form of discrimination, especially racial, by upholding and protecting the dignity and human rights of all," said PAHRA chair Max de Mesa in an email to GMA News Online.

 

"We need the characteristics of a (Mandela) who could reach out to all parties needed in uplifting the nation based on non-discrimination and human rights as well as ensuring the command responsibility of those in governance," he also said.

 

De Mesa said among Mandela's commendable traits was being able to uphold transparency, acknowledging the shortcomings of his African National Congress party, for instance.

 

"(It is) something we can learn from to strengthen our own command responsibility, both in the civilian government and within the institutions of our security forces, so as to end the culture of impunity and command conspiracy," he said.

 

"Nonetheless, we should plan our own path for peace, reconciliation and development. This kind of accountability cannot be achieved without passing the needed laws, such as that which upholds the right to information," de Mesa added.

 

Still in critical condition

 

As of June 26, Mandela remains in critical condition in a hospital in Pretoria. 

 

Preparations, however, continue for his upcoming birthday celebrations on July 18 — Mandela's 95th birthday and the 4th Nelson Mandela International Day.

Responding to the call to "Take Action; Inspire Change," communities all over the world celebrate Mandela Day with activities of service, such as a library project in South Africa, mural painting in Mexico, and a Facebook campaign for awareness on human rights issues. 

 

Mandela Day is "an opportunity for people to rise above Madiba's hospitalization," according to Sello Hatang, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. 

 

In 2011, Mandela marked his 67th year as an activist by making a birthday wish for people to spend 67 minutes doing good for their communities.

 

As his grandson Mbuso Mandela told AFP, the Nobel peace laureate wanted people to carry on his good work. 

 

"His idea for me was just to continue the legacy which he put forth to myself and to the rest of the nation, which is humility and education," he said. —With a report from Gian Geronimo/KG/YA/HS, GMA News