Setting a Tone for History

"Many know of Nelson Mandela as the man who strove hard for racial equality for the blacks in South Africa. Before his presidency, he was an anti-apartheid activist and the leader of Africa's national Congress. In accordance with his conviction, Mandela spent 27 years in prison, spending many of those years on Robben Island. Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela supported reconciliation and helped lead the transition towards multiracial democracy in South Africa. As such, in 1994 South Africa held an election and Mandela won. Mandela's leadership through the negotiations, as well as his relationship with President F. W. de Klerk, managed to reinstate the peace that the South Africans desired. However, the route was not smooth sailing. The relationship was sometimes strained, particularly so in a sharp exchange in 1991 when he furiously referred to De Klerk as the head of an "illegitimate, discredited, minority regime". Nevertheless, the exchanges between De Klerk and Mandela should be seen as an example of different racial groups who have a common loyalty and love to their country.

However, we do question the relevance of the article in today's world. If the negotiations between Mandela and De Klerk should be seen as a symbol of racial harmony, what then can account for the present racial disputes in other parts of the developed world today, like in USA, or North and South Korea? Also, has the South African's great triumph also prove as a distraction? Afterall, it has neglected other dire problems like the epidemic of AIDS which has killed 2.8 million and infected a further 5.7 million in South Africa alone."

-a long awaited piece of work by Faisal's group. :)