Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood, portrays one of Nelson Mandela's (played by Morgan Freeman) greatest achievements as president. Several of us have seen the film and enjoyed it very much. We will even get to visit several of the places seen in the movie! The following abstract is Fei Wan's response to the movie.
On the surface, Invictus may have seemed like another sports film aimed to motivate and inspire, but deep down it is really a film about leadership and humility. The film is about Nelson Mandela’s effort to unify the country through the sport of rugby. Interestingly enough, he sought to do this by placing a bet on the Springboks, which was performing poorly and losing support from its main fan base, the Afrikaners. Instead of mindlessly listening to his core constituents (ANC supporters) to put a new rugby team in place of the Springboks, he had the audacity and vision to tell them that they were wrong. He recognized the potential of the team captain, Pienaar, who had the capacity to lead the team to victory in the world cup. Throughout the movie, I was moved many times by Mandela’s humility and his capacity to forgive. When I was reading his book, I felt the same thing that Pienaar had felt after visiting Mandela’s prison cell on Ruben Island: how can a man be so forgiving and loving to his worst enemies after he had lost 30 years of his life in prison. This question became clear to me after I read his biography. In the book, he talked about the time when he had to ask himself whether there was anything in this world he would be willing to lose everything for, including his family and freedom. The answer to this question is the freedom of his people and prosperity of South Africa and to achieve this, he knew that unity was paramount.
This movie is a perfect example of why Mandela was such a great leader. He consistently showed humility in dealing with everyone around him, from his staffs to ANC supporters to members of the Springboks. With such a tremendous reputation around the world, he did not let his ego grow beyond his soul, which is why he continues to inspire people around the world. In addition, he did not let his personal feelings influence him in making the decision that was best for the country, which is what separates great leaders from the common citizens. Like many of his ANC party members, he had every reason to eliminate the Springboks, which his previous oppressors adorned. Instead, he recognized the importance of a united South Africa, which meant the support of the blacks, whites, and colored alike. While most Afrikaners expected him to retaliate, he simply chose to forgive and embrace the team that once represented everything he fought against. Mandela understood the meaning behind a sport team is simply based on human perception and that it is never absolute. As a leader who led by example, he fully embraced the Springboks as his own and people eventually followed. Lastly, he recognized the key individual, Pienaar, who had the potential to help him achieve his goal and invested significant effort to help him grow into the leader he was meant to be.
I am thankful that I saw this movie because it offered a window into Mandela endeavors after he was elected as president. Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of Mandela brought him to life for me and I’m eager to learn more about him and the history of South Africa in the future.
By: Fei Wan
Another movie I would recommend watching is Peter Jackson's District 9. I saw the movie before our class started and I loved it. The film does a great job addressing the xenophobic violence in South Africa. District 9 is also enjoyable to watch--the technology is great.
1480s: Bartholomeu Dias, a Portuguese navigator, is the first European to travel around the southern tip of Africa.
1497: Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese explorer, lands on the Natal coast.
1652: Jan van Riebeeck, from the Dutch East India Company, founds the Cape Colony at Table Bay.
1795: British forces seize Cape Colony from the Netherlands.
1803: Cape Colony is returned to the Dutch in 1803.
1806: The Dutch surrender Cape Colony to the British.
1816-1826: Shaka Zulu finds and expands the Zulu empire to create a formidable fighting force.
1835-1840: The Boers leave Cape Colony in the Great Trek. They find the Orange Free State and the Transvaal.
1852: The British grant a limited self-government to the Transvaal.
1856: Natal separates from the Cape Colony (Also, in the late 1850s, the Boers proclaim the Transvaal a republic).
1867: Diamonds are discovered at Kimberley.
1877: Britain occupies the Transvaal.
1879: The British defeat the Zulus in Natal.
1880-81:The Boers rebel against the British and spark the first Anglo-Boer War. The conflict ends with a negotiated peace and the Transvaal is restored as a republic (Also, in the mid 1880s, gold is discovered in the Transvaal and a gold rush begins).
1899:British troops gather at the Transvaal border and ignore an ultimatum to disband. This begins the second Anglo-Boer War.
1902:The Treaty of Vereeniging ends the second Anglo-Boer War. The Transvaal and Orange Free State are made self-governing colonies of the British Empire.
1910:The Union of South Africa is created by the former British colonies of the Cape and Natal, the Boer republics of Transvaal, and Orange Free State.
1912: The Native National Congress is founded, which is later renamed the African National Congress (ANC). 1913: A Land Act is introduced to prevent blacks, except those living in Cape Province, from buying land outside reserves.
1914:The National Party is founded.
1918: Secret Broederbond (brotherhood) is established to advance the Afrikaner cause.
1919:South West Africa (Namibia) comes under South African administration.
1948:The National Party takes power and the policy of apartheid is adopted. 1950:The population of South Africa is classified by race. The Group Areas Act is passed to segregate blacks and whites. The Communist Party is banned and the ANC responds with a campaign of civil disobedience led by Nelson Mandela.
1960:Seventy black demonstrators are killed at Sharpeville. The ANC is formally banned.
1961:South Africa is declared a republic and leaves the Commonwealth. Nelson Mandela leads the ANC's new military wing, which launches a sabotage campaign (Also during the 1960s, there was a rise in international pressure against the South African apartheid and South Africa was excluded from the Olympic games).
1964:Nelson Mandela, one of the most prominent ANC leaders, is sentenced to life imprisonment.
1966:Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd is assassinated.
1970s:More than 3 million people are forced to resettle in black “homelands.”
1976:Clashes between black protestors and security forces begin in Soweto. More than 600 people are killed.
1977: After being arrested, anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko dies on his way to Pretoria as a result of extremely poor treatment from inhumane police officials.
1984-89:South Africa is in a state of emergency as several black South Africans revolt in the townships.
1984: Desmond Tutu wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
1989:Frederik Willem de Klerk replaces Pieter Willem Botha as president and meets with Nelson Mandela; public facilities begin to desegregate and many ANC activists are freed. Also, Gordon Oliver, Desmond Tutu, and other anti-apartheid leaders lead the Cape Town Peace March.
1990:The ANC is no longer banned and Nelson Mandela is released after spending 27 years in prison.
1991:President De Klerk repeals the remaining apartheid laws and the international sanctions are lifted.
1993: An agreement on the interim constitution is reached and Nelson Mandela wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
1994:Nelson Mandela becomes president of South Africa when the ANC wins the first non-racial elections. Also, after a 20-year absence, South Africa regains a seat in the UN General Assembly.
1996:Desmond Tutu leads the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and begins hearings on human rights crimes committed by former government and liberation movements during the apartheid era.
1996:Parliament adopts a new constitution and the National Party withdraws from the coalition.
1998:The Truth and Reconciliation Commission report brands apartheid a crime against humanity.
1999:The ANC wins another general election and Thabo Mbeki becomes president.
2000:The ANC prevails in local elections, while the recently-formed Democratic Alliance captures nearly a quarter of the votes.
2001:Several multi-national pharmaceutical companies halt a legal battle to stop South Africa from importing generic AIDS drugs. The decision is hailed as a victory for the world's poorest countries in their efforts to import cheaper drugs to combat AIDS.
2002:The Constitutional court orders the South African government to provide key anti-AIDS drug at all public hospitals because the government was arguing that the drug was simply too costly.
2003:Walter Sisulu, a key figure in the anti-apartheid struggle, dies at the age of 91. Thousands of people gather to pay their final respects to the leader. Also in 2003, the South African government approves a major program to combat HIV/AIDS that will create a network of drug-distribution centers and preventative programs (the cabinet had previously refused to provide HIV/AIDS medicine through a public health system).
2004:The ANC wins a landslide election victory, allowing Thabo Mbeki to begin his second term as president.
2005:Investigators exhume the first bodies in a Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigation to determine the fates of hundreds of people who disappeared in the apartheid era.
2005:President Mbeki dismisses his deputy, Jacob Zuma, in the aftermath of a corruption case. Also, around 100,000 gold miners begin a strike over pay and bring the industry to a standstill.
2006:Jacob Zuma is acquitted of rape charges by the High Court in Johannesburg and is reinstated as deputy leader of the governing ANC. Zuma’s bid for presidency is eventually boosted. Also, South Africa becomes the first African country and the fifth country in the world to allow same-sex unions.
2007: President Mbeki, who is often accused of ignoring South African crimes, urges all South Africans to join forces in order to bring rapists, drug dealers, and corrupt government officials to justice. Also, Zuma is elected the chairman of the ANC and is placed in an even stronger position to become the next president of South Africa.
2008: A wave of violence is directed at African foreigners in townships across South Africa. Several of the foreigners die and thousands of Zimbabweans, Malawians, and Mozambicans return home. Also, a judge throws out another corruption case against Jacob Zuma. This leads the way for Zuma to become the country's next president in 2009.
2009:Public prosecutors drop the corruption case against Jacob Zuma and the ANC wins another general election. Parliament elects Jacob Zuma as the new president of South Africa. Also, township residents begin a violent protest against their poor living conditions and President Zuma condemns their violent actions but promises better services for the townships.
"The World AIDS Campaign is a global coalition of national, regional and international civil society groups united by the call for governments to honour their AIDS commitments under the slogan 'Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.' The campaign is governed by a steering committee of global constituency-based networks and supported by a team of support staff based primarily in Cape Town, South Africa and partially in Amsterdam, The Netherlands." The Campaign's website can be found here: http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/
In honor of this day and the World AIDS Campaign, I will post some quick facts about HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
In 2008, an estimated 5.2 million people were living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, more than any other country in the world.
1 in 3 women aged 25-29 are living with HIV.
Over a quarter of men aged 30-34 are living with HIV.
In South Africa, HIV is mostly transmitted by heterosexual couples.
Mother-to-child transmission is also extremely common in South Africa.
The overall number of annual deaths in South Africa has increased sharply. In 1997, 316,559 people died and in 2006, this number rose to 607,184 people. This jump in the mortality rate does not solely rest on HIV/AIDS, but young adults--the age group most affected by AIDS--are shouldering the burden of this epidemic (in 1997, 29% of deaths were attributed to 25-49 year olds with AIDS and in 2006, this rate rose to 41%).
There are 1.4 million AIDS orphans in South Africa, which is half of the country's orphans.
In 2007, there were 46 deaths per 1000 babies born in South Africa. HIV/AIDS is a main contributor to the infant mortality rate because there is poor mother-to-child prevention in South Africa.
In 2007, only a quarter of adults took an HIV test and only 7% of those adults had taken a previous HIV test in the past 12 months.
Although South Africa has the largest antiretroviral therapy program in the world, access to treatment is low because South Africa also has the world's largest HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The leading cause of death in South Africa is TB. The only way to successfully combat TB is to fight against HIV/AIDS--people living with HIV/AIDS are more susceptible to TB.
To learn more about HIV/AIDS in South Africa, visit http://www.avert.org/aidssouthafrica.htm
Part of the reason that HIV/AIDS has taken over South Africa is due to a lack of government support. But today, current South African President Jacob Zuma announced that drug therapy for pregnant women who are HIV positive will be broadened and will also begin earlier. Zuma's announcement is extremely exciting because the South African government has delayed AIDS treatment and education. Several political leaders have been involved in HIV/AIDS scandals, including Zuma himself. Just three years ago, Zuma admitted, while on trial for rape, that he knowingly had had sex with a woman infected with H.I.V. without using a condom, saying he showered afterward to minimize his risk of infection. Zuma's personal record illustrates the impact of the epidemic in South Africa because HIV/AIDS is even affecting the nation's leaders. His example also demonstrates the dire need to increase education and drug therapy among all age groups in South Africa. To learn more about Zuma's announcement, please see the following New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/world/africa/02safrica.html
Also, South Africa has it's own version of Sesame Street and one character is Kami, a young muppet who is HIV positive. Former president Bill Clinton joined Kami to make a public service announcement about HIV/AIDS which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eXlNn-C8BY
Cape Town is a Cosmopolitan city featuring wi-fi cafes, museums, restaurants, shopping centers and open markets in a multicultural atmosphere.Its beautiful mountains, beaches, and golf courses however, contrast starkly with the poverty stricken townships that are still home to millions of “non-white” South Africans.
The townships remain as remnants of apartheid-era policy, which relocated entire communities based on race.These racial divides still exist today as economic redistribution has not happened overnight.The result is separated communities with a wide gap in access to health care and education.
Our objective during the trip is to introduce students to both of these worlds and to encourage understanding about how they affect one another, to see what steps are being taken to improve the well-being of children and their communities, to interact with these communities, and to reflect on what they have learned about children and families at the University of Illinois and what they have experienced in South Africa.
There are four books we are required to read this semester:
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Mother to Mother by Sindiwe Magona
The House on Tyne Street, Childhood Memories of District Six by Linda Fortune
Each week we write a response to the assigned readings. Our readings typically consist of an assigned book and a short list of articles we can find online. The following is my response to Magona's novel and I hope it encourages all of our blog readers to learn more about South Africa!
In Sindiwe Magona’s Mother to Mother, Magona details the murder of Amy Biehl and illuminates the all too common effects of the South African Apartheid. Magona’s goal is not to justify the murder of Biehl, but to explain how Biehl was a consequence of the inequalities and prejudices that the South African Apartheid created. Biehl’s murder is another example all of us can use to examine the social and racial relations between whites and blacks in South Africa. Her murder can also be considered a historical legacy of South Africa’s past. This novel definitely influenced the way I understand South Africa’s history and has broadened my views on life in general. I think that most of us are too quick to judge acts of violence because attempting to understand the specific reasons behind each act can be very difficult. I feel that Magona’s novel is very special because I was able to not only see her message in a South African perspective, but I can also place her message in an American perspective and see how murders like Biehl’s are a common part of urban America. Magona’s novel opened my eyes and showed me that there is more to be seen than just violence—there will always be the events, people, and social/racial issues that lead up to such horrible occurrences.
Like Magona, Biehl's parents also believe that their daughter's murder was a consequence of the apartheid. As a result, they started a foundation in Amy's name: http://www.amybiehl.org/
This website is a great place to visit and you can really see the importance of grassroots organizations in South Africa.
Here's a link to a New York Times article about South African politics. The article is pretty interesting and shows a different perspective on the leaders of the ANC and the South Africa Communist Party. I am curious as to what Mandela's thoughts are on the current leaders of the ANC. But as Jan mentioned yesterday in class, we shouldn't be too quick to make assumptions about South Africa politics and we should really take advantage of the opportunities we will have to interact with South Africans.
For the first class, we introduced ourselves and discussed brief travel information. Jan lectured about South Africa's history and the many different languages of South Africa. The documentary Amandla! was really great! I thought it was very interesting to see how much music can impact a culture and an entire country. This summer, I worked with 3 young children. One of the little girls (a 5 year old) asked me "What happens when people stop making music?" I told her that that would never happen because everyone expresses themselves in different ways and that music is very important to several people. I wasn't sure if this was the right answer, but after viewing the documentary, I am happy with the answer I gave her and I hope it sticks with her. It is so amazing to see how something as simple as music can unite large groups of people and can serve as an aide in the process of change.
The documentary also made me more excited for our future adventures!! We are really fortunate to be able to experience something like our planned trip and I hope that we all take very valuable life lessons away from it! I can't wait to hear more South African music and to experience the music in Cape Town.
For week #2, we can look forward to a lecture from Ken Salo.
Assignments due on 10/19:
Abstract #2
Continue/Finish The House on Tyne Street
We will start our course journals this week and we should begin to construct our time line of South African historical and political events.
An 8 week course of study in preparation for the trip, and participation in activities presented while in Cape Town.
In the eight week course leading up to the trip to Cape Town, students will learn about the history, economy, and political events leading up to the demise of the apartheid system, including the role of African youth in the struggle.
Participation in the study abroad experience: Through a week of intensive study, discussion, field trips, and experience with local cultural events, students will learn about the variety of cultures, family issues, and living conditions in the Cape Town area, including life in its overcrowded and poverty-stricken townships.
The final two weeks of the trip will be spent volunteering in Cape Town and surrounding townships, working with community organizations that provide education and support for women and care for children orphaned by the AIDS crisis in South Africa.
Throughout the trip, group discussion will continue, focusing on the dynamics of integration, education, and globalization in the Cape Town area after apartheid, as well as comparison of the implementation of human development and child development theory and practice in place in South Africa and the United States today.
Assignments for Week #1:
Long Walk to Freedom Abstract is due 10/13!
Begin to read House on Tyne Street for next week's discussion
