Truth & Reconciliation

South Africa is steeped with history and the remarkable story of apartheid, peace and reconcilliation. I visisted several sites in South Africa trying to understand the nation's complex struggle and contemporary culture.

The Truth and Reconcilliation that has occurred in South Africa after deades of the nation living under apartheid has long been an inspiration for me. It is an aweing example of a non anger based approach in dealing with the hurt and suffering of a hundred years of oppression. It was about reconcilliation, not vengence, and addressed the need for truth, not denial. At the centre of this historical process was the brilliant Spiritual Activsit Archbishop Desmond Tutu who I met later on my pilgrimage in the U.S.

While in South Africa, I wanted to see the infamous Robben Island Prison where Nelson Mandela was a prisoner for much of his 28 years of incarreceration. Robben Island is a ferry boat ride from the Cape Town harbour. The prison is haunting, but also inspiring as foreign prision gaurds are now tour guides who speak of the harsh realities of prison life, as well as the stories of faith and human kindness that prevailed.

There are penguins everywhere!

Dennis Brutus, a poet and activist I met at the World Social Forum and again in South Africa, was a prision-mate of Nelson Mandella's at Robben Island. Dennis is a coloured African, who is fair skinned and if he had chosen, could have passed himeslf for a white man. Dennis opposed apartheid, and was part of the struggle for human rights and reconcilliation in South Africa.

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Information About Robben Island and Apartheid

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Robben Island