Celebrating Mandela

29-year old Leo Johnson left war torn Liberia at 15. After spending 8 years in refugee camps, he came to Hamilton where he graduated from McMaster University and started a group to help at-risk youth struggling with education. Throughout his journey, Johnson says Nelson Mandela was his number one mentor: “Looking at my own life how it evolved as a young person, nothing could ever stop me or allow me to be depressed whenever I just recount what Nelson Mandela went through and what he stood for after everything. 1990 we were quite, I was still very young, the war was raging in Liberia at the time and I remember singing the song free Nelson Mandela, Free Nelson Mandela at the time because it was the talk of the continent.”

Johnson says the country followed Mandela’s story as if it were happening in Liberia to the point where many Liberians forgot their own struggles: “Later, I came to realize it was the same in most parts of Africa. It’s always been one of those things that we couldn’t have been more proud of that one of our own was willing to take up the banner and lead like no one else could have.”

Born in South Africa, Karen Saperson and her husband came to Canada in 1986 and eventually moved to Hamilton. She says that while growing up she was aware of Mandela as one of the leaders of the struggle. But censorship in the country was absolute: “I think a lot of the detail of his life and the impact of his leadership on the world has really come to light since his release.”

Saperson has followed Mandela’s life from Canada, learning about what she calls his visionary leadership and his qualities that are rarely seen in political leaders: “His generosity, generosity of spirit his ability to forgive and transcend all that is negative, absence of any bitterness or anger.”

It’s these qualities, johnson says he hopes current world leaders will begin to embody: “If we’re going to celebrate Nelson Mandela the the world leaders who are speaking all over the world today should start thinking about implementing what he stood for.”

It has been announced that Mandela’s funeral will be held December 15th. Stewart Memorial Church here in Hamilton is in the process of planning an event that day to possibly live stream the funeral depending on the time. They’ll release more details on that in the coming days.