In Memoriam: Nelson Mandela

In July 2013, the World Justice Project dedicated the World Justice Forum IV in The Hague to Nelson Mandela, a man who more than any embodied the values, principles and goals of the WJP.

At the time Mandela was lying in a hospital ward fighting the vagaries of old age and frailty and the world was united in prayer for his recovery. In characteristic Mandela fashion he fought on, refusing to shed his mortal coil. It took six months for death to finally triumph over his 95-year-old frame.

In death he has done as he did in life: united the world. Messages of tribute have flowed from the powerful to the lowly, from moral leaders such as the Dalai Lama and the Pope to celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Britney Spears. Warring foes silenced their guns and paused to honor him.

Mandela dedicated his life to overcoming injustice and entrenching the rule of law. He inspired billions of his fellow human beings to strive for a better world in which people are free to reach their full potential. He inspired them to strive for a world in which human beings do not have shackles placed around their ankles and obstacles placed in their path as they seek to improve their lives.

One of the most enduring lessons we learnt from this icon was the ability to forgive. He argued that bitterness serves only to imprison those who refuse to forgive and that forgiveness frees both the perpetrator and the victim. He said that had he refused to forgive those who oppressed his people and jailed him for 27 years, he would have amounted to exchanging one prison cell for another. In his own words: "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

At Forum IV, the global WJP multi-disciplinary family pledged to continue Mandela's work in all corners of the planet and in all spheres of life. As we bid farewell to this titan of our times, let us recommit ourselves to this pledge and work even harder to fulfill his ideals.

The last word belongs to this great man himself. In a 1994 interview, Madiba said:

"Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace."