“We carry with us the hopes and fears of those who came before us, their anger and their regrets, their lessons and their wisdom. We are all, in some way, immigrants in time, bound by the history we inherit and the humanity we share.” – Abdulrazak Gurnah
The Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture brings together global leaders to discuss critical social issues facing the world today. The theme for the 22nd Annual Lecture to be delivered by Nobel Prize laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, “Realising Our Shared Humanity,” promises to provide the global community with an opportunity, a moment, to realise our shared humanity. It presents us with the potentiality of a united and equitable global community working together to eradicate our most challenging issues, eradicate poverty, war, and all kinds of discrimination.
As an African Philosophy major, my initial thought when this theme was announced was Ubuntu - this is an ideology that unites, connects and highlights the importance of community. It is a reminder that our individuality, our identities are deeply tied to our relationships with those around us, rooted in mutual understanding and respect, and empathy.
Ubuntu says “I am made up of you”, that I borrow my identity for the people in my life. It is an imperative to live, think, and be in ways that considers the people, the land, and the future. It compels us to realise our shared humanity.
Challenging Individualism
This theme allows us to challenge individualism and prioritise our communities. It is a shift away from self-interest, bifurcation, conflict and ego-driven competition. This idea has become more important now, especially in a world that is plagued by the barbarism of an unequal war in the Middle East, poverty, inequality, social unrest, and climate change - issues that require collective effort and collaboration, the understanding of each other’s experiences, and struggles.
This year’s Annual Lecture will take place on the 28th of September, Heritage Day week in South Africa. On Heritage Day (24 September), South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their cultural backgrounds and diverse identities. Heritage Day was originally a day meant to commemorate the legacy of Zulu king, Shaka Zulu, and is on the presumed date of his death in 1828. Today, it is a day commemorating ethnic identity more broadly.
Heritage Day gives us the opportunity to showcase our interconnectedness as individuals and as a South African community. As we come together to commemorate this day, the Annual lecture offers an additional opportunity to come together again and have crucial conversations that can bring us together.
The Lecture also takes place during the 25 Year Anniversary of the Nelson Mandela Foundation and we are celebrating 25 years of remembering and restoring.
Join us on the 28th of September at the Wits Linder Auditorium at 3pm for the 22nd Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture. Watch it live on our YouTube Channel or on SABC News.