Nelson Mandela, A Celebration - With distinguished speakers

The Africa Working Group, housed in the Kellogg institute, is hosting a series of events throughout the academic year in order to celebrate and remember the life and accomplishments of Nelson Mandela. Their focus is in bringing in people who worked intimately with him and who can speak to Mr. Mandela’s life and legacy, about what he means to South Africa and the world. Each speaker addresses Mandela in the context of the struggle against apartheid. Dr. Boesak focuses on Mandela’s role in the formation of an armed wing for the banned African National Congress, and the relationship between violence and moral behavior. Chester Williams speaks on his personal struggle to succeed in a whites-only sport, ultimately meeting Mandela in 1995 as he became part of South Africa’s triumph in the rugby world cup. These very different speakers can draw the diverse aspects of the Notre Dame community into a conversation about and celebration of Nelson Mandela. So many of the great figures of the anti-apartheid movement are coming to the end of their lives; thus, this is the right time to focus on the achievements and life of Nelson Mandela.