Tag: Nelson Mandela

A leader with courage and integrity

Posted on by kathiemm

Film review of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, by guest contributor Dot Walsh

With the recent passing of Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, this film takes on a historical quality.

The movie and story line quite accurately follow Mandela’s autobiography of the same name, highlighting the background of the rise and brutality of apartheid resulting in conflict and suffering. Actual film footage is woven into the script making the movie interesting and real.

Idris Elba, in his role as Mandela, does an excellent job of portraying the emotional turmoil within this man and the poignancy of the journey.

After 27 years of incarceration, Nelson Mandela emerged as a political leader with courage and moral integrity, able to unite both black and white in the country he loved.

One sad note is that Mandela had to separate from his wife, Winnie, who was unable to leave revenge behind.

This is not a film to miss!

Dot Walsh is a lifelong peace activist and member of the Engaging Peace Board of Directors.

Peace on Earth, good will to all

Posted on by kathiemm

Let us celebrate Christmas and the holy days of Earth’s other religions by giving thanks to all exemplars and promoters of peace—the men and women who strive for peace on earth, good will to all, through their voices and through their art.

May peace prevail on Earth (sign at park)
Photo by Bart Everson used under CC Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Today, December 23,

Hear a final message from Nelson Mandela and learn more about how to keep his legacy alive.

Listen to the Dalai Lama talking about nonviolence and inner peace.

Reflect on this message from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Be inspired by this moving video from an American imam, Muhammad Musri.

View this Chanukah message from Jewish Voice for Peace.

Enjoy these gorgeous sculptures dedicated to nonviolence.

and

Sing along with the Voices of Peace Choir at the Arab Jewish Community Center in Jaifa, Israel.  I IMAGINE You’ll recognize the tune.

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology

A living tapestry of peace and reconciliation (Part 1)

Posted on by kathiemm

by guest author  Alan O’Hare, A Seanchie (Celtic storyteller)

In this post, I invite you to “see the voices” of renowned peace activists,  less well known proponents of peace and reconciliation, and all the human beings who have suffered from the wars and conflicts pervading our world.

El Salvador mural with Archbishop Romero
El Salvador mural with Archbishop Romero. Photo by Alison McKellar, used under CC Attribution Generic 2.0 license.

Think of their stories as part of a tapestry of peace, a tapestry that could be displayed in a meditative gathering in which we can envision Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi,  Thich Nhat Hanh, and Nelson Mandela, our brothers and sisters in our own journey towards peace.

As we create this tapestry, allow these images to be your guides:

  • Leonard Bernstein conducting Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Berlin at the 1989 Fall of the Wall
  •  Aung San Suu Kyi being released to the loving embrace of the people of Myanmar after many years of unjust house arrest
  • The life and courage of Archbishop Romero being celebrated in El Salvador Cathedral where he was assassinated in 1980
  • A circle of victims and perpetrators from the 1994 Rwanda genocide sitting on the grass (gacaca) listening to confessions and seeking reconciliation

Recall Gandhi as he sat spinning threads of harmony, independence, and resistance that rippled across the nation of India. Even now we can see the echoes of his voice of peace, a voice that became a rolling thunder continuing to resonate throughout the world today.

Recalling Gandhi should be more than just imagining him; it should be truly seeing him through all those millions of people whose lives have been affected in the search for peace and reconciliation. See him and appreciate more fully the voices that carry on his mission, and the art, music, movement, and fragrance hidden in the beauty and power in each of their words.

Alan O’Hare, LifeStoryTheatre.org

Blind justice–or blind to justice?

Posted on by kathiemm

Americans are expected to pledge allegiance to a flag that symbolizes “liberty and justice for all.” But, as one of our readers asked recently, “What is justice?”

One common distinction is between retributive justice and restorative justice:

Retributive justice:

  • Focuses on punishment for perceived transgressions
  • Is imposed unilaterally on a weaker party by a stronger party
  • Argues that the severity of the punishment should be proportional to the severity of the offense—e.g., an eye for an eye
  • Is viewed as having a strong basis in Western values, particularly those of men

Restorative justice:

  • Rejects the notion that punishment of an offender adequately restores justice
  • Views transgressions as bilateral or multilateral conflicts involving perpetrators, victims, and their communities
  • Recommends bringing together all parties to exchange stories and move toward apology and forgiveness.

Depending on our family and community values, we are exposed to varying levels of these forms of justice and develop ideas regarding which form is best. For example, in families:

  • Authoritarian parents expect their children to be obedient and to follow strict rules and punish them if they don’t—consistent with retributive justice beliefs
  • Authoritative parents are more democratic, more responsive to their children’s needs and questions, and favor understanding and forgiveness over punishment—consistent with restorative justice beliefs

And in nations:

  • The U.S. incarcerates the largest number of people, including the most women in the world
  • Under Nelson Mandela, South Africa created a Truth and Reconciliation Commission “to enable South Africans to come to terms with their past on a morally accepted basis and to advance the cause of reconciliation.”
  • The video above shows how the Rwandan government has approached the issue of justice in the aftermath of that country’s genocide

Which type of justice is embraced by each society? On what basis is one approach more just than the other? Which do you favor? Why?

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology