A reply from the Mandela Organization

Well, it didn't take long - I heard from the Mandela Organization. Here's what they said:

Hi John. Thank you for your query. Mr Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and no longer attends any public appearances. 
The good news is that you can still contribute to Madiba's legacy by registering your Mandela Day activities on our calendar and engaging with the communities you will be visiting. As Madiba said "It's in your hands".

With all they have going on, especially with Mandela Day less than a week away, it was nice of them to take the time to reply.  

Our tour will be stopping at schools and hospice centers and we will be bringing school supplies and toiletries, so we plan to register this as a Mandela Day activity.

If you know someone or some group planning an activity that will fit the spirit of service and positive change, please go to the official Mandela Day site and follow the link that lets you Register An Activity Now.  The more who register, the more evidence to show that Nelson Mandela's gift of change is still going strong.

Arriving on Nelson Mandela Day

This post was inspired by one of my wife's favorite phrases "You Can't Win if You Don't Play".  Whenever I'm contemplating whether or not to try something or make a request of someone, Maura always responds with "You Can't Win if You Don't Play". 

Well, a few days ago, I was doing my usual web prowling, scouring for information on South Africa and the many places we will be traveling.  My wanderings took me to Nelson Mandela's organization, called the Centre of Memory.  As I looked over the many resources and projects featured on that site, I noticed there was a link for something called Mandela Day.  It turns out South Africa - and it looks like many other places in the world - celebrate Nelson Mandela's birthday on July 18 as Mandela Day. 

The webpage explains:

The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. “Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.” 

They even created an awesome graphic to capture this sentiment:

  

Something about that date, July 18th, nagged at me.  It turns out we will be landing in Johannesburg on the 18th.  To make the occurrence even more unusual, our landing time (8am) is exactly the time scheduled for school children in South Africa to sing Happy Birthday to Mr. Mandela!

According to our itinerary, after arriving at the airport, we're scheduled to check in at our B&B, which is in Melville - only a 12-minute car ride from the headquarters of the Mandela Organization...!

Putting all those things together (same day, same time, same general area), it seemed almost too good to be true.   I started thinking Where might Nelson Mandela be on Mandela Day?  Could he actually be making a public appearance somewhere near his offices??  

So, in the spirit of  "You Can't Win if You Don't Play", I wrote to the Mandela Organization.  I told them about this amazing trip, and asked if they could tell me where Mr. Mandela might be during this event.  Imagine being able to get a glimpse of Nelson Mandela?  It would be the ultimate!


Stay tuned for more...

Some of the sites I will be visiting during my trip

While I am waiting *somewhat* patiently for this trip to begin, here are a few glimpses of just some of the sites I will be visiting:

Here is some information on these sites:

Cape Town
The legislative capital of South Africa, Cape Town is in the southwestern corner of the country.  It includes the famous Cape of Good Hope.
Image borrowed from http://www.bestindonesiantravel.com/

Robben Island
For almost 200 years, Robben Island served as a prison.  For 27 years, it held Nelson Mandela.
Visit the Robben Island Musuem at http://www.robben-island.org.za/
Image borrowed from http://paddleathlete.com/

Soweto
Soweto was one of many townships that saw violence during the resistance movements in the 1970s.  On June 16, 1976, an uprising brought police, who fired into a crowd of protesters.  Over 200 were killed.
Image borrowed from http://www.africansafariguru.com/

Constitution Hill
Site of an 19th century fort that was later turned into a prison.  The site has been closed as a prison since 1983.
Visit their website at http://www.constitutionhill.org.za/
Image borrowed from http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

Apartheid Museum
This museum traces the history of Apartheid in South Africa.
Visit the museum at http://www.apartheidmuseum.org/
Image borrowed from http://www.desertsafaris.co.za/

Port Elizabeth
On the Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth (or "PE") is one of South Africa's major seaports.
Image borrowed from http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/

Origins Museum
This museum showcases the dawn of man as human beings in Africa.
Visit the museum at http://www.origins.org.za/home/
Image borrowed from http://www.flickr.com/photos/greeniesworld

Pretoria
The adminstrative capital of South Africa, Pretoria is in the northeast region of the country. 
Image borrowed from http://www.ikapa.co.za/holiday/j6-pretoria-city/

UFH-East London
University Of Fort Hare is one of the oldest universities in southern Africa.  It boasts several famous South African alumni, such as Robert Mugabe and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Image borrowed from http://my.opera.com/Tembelani/albums

Etafeni
Etafeni is a multi-purpose centre for children affected by AIDS.
Visit this site at http://www.etafenitrust.org/
Image borrowed from http://contemporarydesignandarchitecture.blogspot.com/

District 6 Museum
This museum traces the forced removal of over 60,000 people from an area known as the Sixth Municipal District of Cape Town.
Visit the museum at http://www.districtsix.co.za/
Image borrowed from http://www.gogobot.com/

Here I go!

On July 17, I will be a member of a tour of South Africa. Sponsored by South Africa Partners, the theme of the tour is Overcoming Apartheid’s Legacy: Education Reform in the New South Africa. I could not have been part of this tour without a generous grant from the Fund For Teachers organization (FFT) and the Boston Plan for Excellence. I am honored to be a 2012 FFT Fellow!

This blog is one way I hope to capture my experiences and thoughts as I journey almost 8000 miles from Boston to South Africa.