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South Africa, 6/1/2010
Overview:
Join Active Minds as we explore the history of South Africa, its struggle with Apartheid, and its journey to rejoin the international community since Apartheid's end in 1994. We will discuss the role of immigration/colonialism, Nelson Mandela, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and other important aspects of this story. We will end with a look at the current challenges and opportunities for this important country.
Key Lecture Points:
• 2010 is the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. Additionally, South Africa will be the focus of the international media this June when it hosts the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament. The world will be witnessing what the country has done in the two decades since the end of Apartheid.
• South African Apartheid finds its roots in the colonial era, when whites from the Netherlands and Britain established settlements in Southern Africa beginning in the 17th century. The colonization of South Africa established the racial and socio-economic hierarchy that plagued the country during the apartheid era.
• The Apartheid era in South Africa (1948-1994) was a time of brutal racial segregation aimed at maintaining the dominance of white South Africans of European descent over non-white South Africans (black and “Indian”). Struggle and sacrifice by oppressed South Africans combined with international pressure and eventual government capitulation to end the apartheid era in 1994. The end of apartheid was marked by the election of Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela to the presidency of South Africa
• Since the end of Apartheid, South Africa has been grappling with its legacy and dealing with new and pressing issues. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission that worked from 1995-1998 was an important step towards uniting a racially divided society. Although the TRC’s work was groundbreaking, many argue that blacks still suffer from the economic disparities engendered by apartheid. That said, the TRC’s success has served as a model for other divided nations.
• Additionally, South Africa has the highest AIDS infection rate in the world, leaving many orphans to raise themselves. This devasting epidemic will impact the future of the country.
• That said, South Africa is a country rich in natural resources and economic opportunity. As such, the World Cup tournament provides South Africa with a platform to show that it is open for business.
Exploration Questions:
• How is the history of Apartheid continuing to affect life and politics in South Africa?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of South Africa hosting a major sporting event like the World Cup 2010?
Reflective Questions:
• Have you ever been to South Africa? Other countries in Africa? What has been the impact of colonialism on these countries?
• Have you ever attended or watched the World Cup? What are your memories of the event?
More to Explore:
• US State Department Overview: www.state.gov
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission: www.justice.gov
• 2010 World Cup coverage: www.fifa.com
Books For Further Reading:
• Mandela, Nelson. Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela. Bay Back Books, 1995. 656 pages. Written five years after his release from prison, Mandela tells his own life story, a life so inextricably linked with the struggles of South Africans to end apartheid. Click here to order.
• Lapierre, Dominique. A Rainbow in the Night: The Tumultuous Birth of South Africa. Da Capo Press. 2009. 320 pages. An account of South Africa’s tragic history and the heroic men and women, famous and obscure, white and black, European and black, who brought about the country now known as the Rainbow Nation. Click here to order.
• Mathabane, Mark. Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid. Free Press. 1998. 368 pages. This memoir tells of life under Apartheid. Mark went from a physically and psychologically battered “kaffir” to a scholarship student at an American university. Click here to order.
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