TO FORGIVE AND NOT FORGET

Discussion with the group about the article, “Truth, Forgiveness, and Justice” was a touching and complex conversation. This is could be because merely no one talks about certain entities that deal with physical, emotional and mental levels of thought when it comes to the bigger picture than oneself. The nature of truth, forgiveness, and justice are within the model of transitional justice. These ideas are highly relevant to the promotion of reconciliation and can advance such circumstances into a better sense. Although on the other hand it can halt the process of transitional justice because these notions are silent and oblivious when addressed. Forgiveness can be a difficult task to deal with alone. The article said, “Throughout the literature, forgiveness is presented sometimes as a weakness and sometimes as strength”. Referring to Apartheid and the events here in South Africa-the forgiving stage is still in a slow but progressing process as a nation. With both spectrums considering some people may have forgiven and some may have not; yet in between is the grappling context.
In this sense when the damaged people are at urged to forgive they are more likely put under more pressure to improve their anger towards the offenders. Emotions are sometimes expressed through actions and behaviors but mostly are hidden deep down in a person soul. Emotions are invisible therefore cannot be physically addressed. It is about “finding” oneself again, but South Africa for instances “rebuilding” itself as a nation. My intentions to this purpose is to use these examples from the article and my own experience involving myself in South Africa’s predicament and utilize forgiveness and truth in my daily life constantly to reshape and reform my thoughts and instincts to help others in life-help me help you (nation) help us together. Every day it is a constant struggle to build my strength up and regain the sense of “esteem” and “dignity”; the whole notion of EMPOWERMENT!
Also parallel to our discussion, Mr. Lungisile Ntsebeza’s lecture about the issue of the Land Reform was an interesting conversation as well; the whole idea within a thinner proportion of the act itself. Meaning his points about land and equity was geared toward dealing with the past inequalities. I liked how Mr. Ntsebeza highlighted issues about women and their issues and how African women played major roles during this time period and still until this day. This divided nation caused more issues dealing with the colonization of the native people. Not only was over 93% of the land taken from them, but also their dignity. Their land was a part of their culture and to have the colonizers deconstructed and reorganized the land takes the original people’s pride away. It is almost like in the USA when the government strips away money for grants and scholarships or rises the cost of attendance of a university takes away the spirits and hopes of those students who count on government money to help further their educational goals. Utilizing this information results into the same thing-stripped from dignity, aspirations, and culture by those in power.

FIRST INSIGHTS

So much in the MOTHER-LAND of Africa it is amazing. The roots of it all started right here in Africa and a person like myself was able to see it to believe it. Just when I thought that the impossible did not exist, it becomes the possible and “visions” flash before my eyes. I can only think to start off with Lebo and his informational lecture about his “creation” of the Soweto Backpackers and how it all started. In essence, it seems as though South Africa was “forced” in all aspects to do something against their will and be “controlled” by higher authorities than themselves. This experience of Lebo’s youth and Apartheid is almost the starting point of the beginning.
I can start with the man who symbolizes destruction of Apartheid, Nelson Mandela, and his home where I reside. I went to the Nelson Mandela Museum and it amazes me how so much action has been not been accounted for the mishaps and most importantly, the struggles that Africans went through. Each entry or document was a representation of something graceful that has impacted the African nature. The water meant peace as it flows through the walls and cracks of the ground. What touched me the most about the Mandela Museum, and in general concept, was the fact of acknowledging the past in order to follow the future.
In Nelson Mandela’s book, The Long Walk To Freedom, entails many aspects of not only his life, but the lives of the African people. His chapter, “The Struggle is My Life” represents the long history of life lessons that had its downfalls and uprising moments that contributed to the nature of deconstructing the Apartheid act. Work was the key in his field and made a difference to how he put his “work” to use. At any moment throughout time, it was liable for Mandela to work forcefully or verbally to make sure that the messages that he tried to convey was heard and acknowledged. It shows the dedication and aspiration of making something that is so impossible become the possible through strength courage and provision.
The museum displayed many traits about what was happening then in the era of Apartheid such as the scene of the lynching ropes hanging from the ceiling. This was a devastating sight because it is unbearable to know the mass destruction of people who did not wrong to society. It was society who hated the fact that there were differences in the world. A man quoted, “remember those who are in prison as if you were in prison with them” and to me that symbolizes the collective courage that African people had as a whole. Unity was the key, but a grappling concept that society ignored or controlled in ways that humiliated and dehumanized other groups in society.
To think that a group of people in society did nothing to another group of people were tortured with such anger and demeaning ways had to suffer and lack opportunities. This comes back to the discussion that Lebo had with the group about being deprived from such “opportunities” to expand many possibilities in his life relates to the bigger picture of society not allowing one particular group of people the opportunities and the life of a civil human being. And to add on civil human being, how one can determine who is a human being and who is not, and how actions are carried through human behaviors explains the ways how society is evil in the sense to execute another culture for unjust reasons according to skin complexion.