“Nelson
Rolihlahla Mandela ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African
anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist who served as
President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was South Africa's first black
chief executive, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic
election.
…
Mandela was
a controversial figure for much of his life. Denounced as a communist terrorist
by critics, he nevertheless gained international acclaim for his activism,
having received more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize,
the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Soviet Order of Lenin. He is held
in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Xhosa
clan name, Madiba, or as Tata ("Father"); he is often described as
the "Father of the Nation"”
On the 18
July, 2015, on what has now been known worldwide as “MandelaDay”, I will be
doing a 67 mins Self-Defence Workshop for the local Chinese community, in spirit
of what Mandela Day represents. The message behind Mandela Day is simple – each
individual has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the
better. If each one of us heeded the call to simply do good every day, we would
be living Nelson Mandela’s legacy and helping to build a country of our dreams.
To me, this is a very heart-felt message as I deeply love my country of birth,
South Africa. I had decided many years ago to not immigrate to the likes of
Australia, Canada or the UK; as so many other South Africans have. Furthermore, it encouraged me to take action against
some of the problems we face in our society. Defence Unlimited was the embodiment
of that love and desire to make a difference.
After coming
across my advert on Facebook to promote the 67 mins Self-Defence Workshop, I was
asked by a journalist from an international new agency the following questions:
1. Why did you decide to celebrate Mandela
Day that way?
WH: Nelson
Mandela is one of my personal heroes whom I look up to for guidance and
inspiration. For me, he was a man of
integrity, peace and understanding and is the embodiment of a true leader. I
believe his ideals for humanity was truly inspirational, especially in his
words, “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, or “you must serve your fellow man”. It is
only through this caring and serving each other will we be able to overcome all
the adversity that we, as South Africans, currently face. Furthermore, his
words of “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it” really
inspired me to step forward and take action to address some of the issues our
country and my Chinese community faces, one of which is crime and the fear of
crime. Being in the business that I am, I felt that my company, Defence
Unlimited and I, could do this free workshop to the Chinese community, as well
as make a small contribution to the Hong Ning Chinese Old Age Home.
2. How have you celebrated the day in the
previous years?
WH: Last year
was the first initiative that Defence Unlimited offered free 67mins public
self-defence presentation to the public.
It was held at the Rivonia Sports Club on a cold winter’s evening.
Attendance was small, but respectable!
Read about the experience here: http://defence-unlimited.blogspot.com/2014/07/mandela-day-2014-67mins-of-self-defence.html
In previous
years, I had been with a few corporate initiatives, including food packing and
distribution for various communities.
3. Do you think is still relevant and will
continue to be relevant to the world?
WH: If you
referring to Mandela Day, yes, absolutely! If anything, I think the spirit of
Mandela Day is more relevant now than ever! In light of all the global
turbulence and chaos, we need more positive ideals and action such as the ones
that Mandela day encourages. There is a
saying from the Bible that says, “If good men do not act, evil will
prevail”. Therefore, it is the interest
for everyone to do their bit, no matter how small it may be, in combating this
evil around the world.
4. What does Mandela mean to you?
WH: Well, as
mentioned, he is a personal hero of mine. I’ve read a few books about his life
and his leadership styles, as well as researched some of his public appearances
and speeches. By doing so, I got to know what his ideals and aspirations were
for ALL South Africans, and actually for humanity as a whole. It is these
aspirations that really touched me and made me want to be a better person both
for myself, my family and for society. I
should mention that I also got to meet him briefly right after his release from
prison in 1990. It was at the Park Lane hospital and he was going for a
check-up. I was quite young at the time, and didn’t know who this tall, African
man was who was flanked by even two bigger African men (his body guards). There
was a moment that he stopped, waved and smiled at my sister and I. All I can
remember was how genuine and sincere his smile was, as how happy that made me
feel - I could not help but smile back!
5. What lessons can be learnt from
Mandela's life?
WH: Just too
many to mention! Just off the top of my head: Have integrity at all times; Be
courageous; Be compassionate; Be a good leader; Have core principles that you
abide to; listen intensely before making a response; don’t hurry – think,
analyse then act; and my personal
favourite, “never let fear defeat you”.
I hope that
Mandela Day inspires you to go out and make a difference in this world.
Till next
time.
Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED
life.
For more information on the workshop, please go to:
For more infomation on Mandela Day, please go to:
