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News : International : Organization of American States (OAS) Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM


OAS Permanent Council Paid Tribute to Nelson Mandela
By OAS
Dec 13, 2013 - 7:11:27 AM

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The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today held a special meeting to pay tribute to the memory of Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, who passed away last December 5.

The OAS Assistant Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, spoke on behalf of Secretary General José Miguel Insulza and quoted his words: Nelson Mandela will be remembered not only for his leadership in the liberation of his people and the African continent, but also for his message of tolerance and humanity, an example for all those around the world fighting for freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights.” Mandela, he continued, was a man "who not only brought together the people of South Africa but was also a leader, who inspired the peoples of the Americas, with a significant impact on the world."

Ambassador Ramdin said that Mandela "belonged to all of us. What he fought for, what he believed in and what he represents are convictions, goals, and ideals shared by all who strive for peace, equality and democracy." The high OAS official added that the former South African president was "a leader among men, who recognized that true peace requires commitment and political will and that changing the course of history requires personal sacrifice and most of the time deep pain."

"As the world bids farewell to Nelson Mandela, I cannot help but wonder whether an era is over and whether this kind of courage and conviction, which changed the course of the world, will be seen again," asserted Ramdin who noted that Mandela's life lessons should serve as an example for OAS member states to continue to build a better hemisphere. In this regard, he urged representatives of the Permanent Council to reflect on Mandela’s contribution and to "analyze the challenges facing the Americas through his eyes, promoting peace, fostering dialogue, protecting the most vulnerable and speaking for those who have no voice."

The Chair of the Permanent Council and Representative of Antigua and Barbuda, Deborah-Mae Lovell, spoke of the example of struggle that Mandela set and how the lessons of his life and legacy can be taken into the work of the OAS. "How can we begin to express our appreciation to an icon who not only changed a country but influenced the world? How can we fully grasp the vision of a man who could harvest grace, majesty, and dignity from brutality and hardship?" she asked.

Ambassador Lovell quoted the words of the African leader to discuss how the OAS can apply his vision and legacy. "As Nelson Mandela put it, overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, but an act of justice. Poverty is not natural; it is man-made, and we can eradicate it with the actions of human beings," she said. Mandela's legacy, she concluded, "can be maintained if we strengthen the development agenda of the OAS."

The Ambassador of South Africa to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, participated as a special guest in the meeting of the Permanent Council, and he stressed that his country, his government and his countrymen "are humbled by the way the world has responded to our unbearable loss." "We are honored to know that a leader our country has produced out of great adversity has found resonance in so many of your people and in so many of your countries," he added.

Ambassador Rasool celebrated the diversity and unity displayed by OAS member countries and drew parallels between the Americas and Africa. "I look at this collection of countries, and I see many that have shared with us being part of a common colony and, therefore, we were bounded in a common anti-colonial struggle. I see, represented at this table, the names of the countries which we have looked to for inspiration on how we can create a human-right-based world, a better world that advocates for those in need and fights for a more equal society," he said.

The diplomat also recalled the significance of the dates of the passing and funeral of the man considered the father of modern South Africa. "It is no irony that Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, as we were finishing our commemoration of World AIDS Day; it is no irony that, on December 10, International Human Rights Day, the world gathered in Johannesburg for a global memorial service in honor of Mandela, and it is no irony that he will be buried in his final resting place on the eve of December 16, the Day of Reconciliation in South Africa,” said Ambassador Rasool, who stated that that the work of Nelson Mandela must endure and serve as a model to address major world problems. "Nelson Mandela would always be the first to tell us that the transition he presided over was no miracle; the admiration we have for him stems precisely from the fact that he managed to show us what we can achieve. Wherever there is conflict, inequality, raging poverty, marginalization, and isolation, we need to continue building a world that is fundamentally gentler, more caring and more embracing of difference,” he concluded.

During the special meeting, the permanent representatives of the United States, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Belize, Venezuela, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Saint Lucia, Argentina, Brazil, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Paraguay, El Salvador, and Uruguay took the floor. In their interventions, they highlighted Nelson Mandela’s legacy, life, and virtues, and they asserted that the South African leader will always be remembered as an example of dialogue, peace, tolerance, dignity and humility, and as a hero, a fighter and a model of justice, compassion, and reconciliation.

The Council decided to postpone until its meeting of Wednesday, December 18, the items it had planned to discuss today during its regular meeting that was scheduled to take place after the tribute to Nelson Mandela.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

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