Speeches of Nelson Mandela. Speaking to a Joint Session of Congress
Speeches of Nelson Mandela. Speaking to a Joint Session of Congress
Master 262 Part 1 Speeches of Nelson Mandela. Speaking to a Joint Session of Congress. Washington, DC
Speeches of Nelson Mandela. Speaking to a Joint Session of Congress
June 26, 1990 Nelson Mandela at Capitol Building, speaking to a Joint Session of Congress. C/A's of Congressmen, Senators, dignitaries, cabinet members, etc., listening & applauding (including Paul Simon, Patrick Moynihan, Speaker Tom Foley, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich, Dick Gephardt, Charles Rangel, Lloyd Bentsen, etc). Mandela: "To destroy racism in the world, we, together, must expunge apartheid racism in South Africa. Justice and liberty must be our tool, prosperity and happiness our weapon. Mr Speaker, Distinguished representatives of the American people: You know this more than we do that peace is its own reward. Our own fate, born by a succession of generations that reach backwards into centuries, has been nothing but tension, conflict and death. In a sense we do not know the meaning of peace except in the imagination. But because we have not known true peace in its real meaning; because, for centuries, generations have had to bury the victims of state violence, we have fought for the right to experience peace.
Speeches of Nelson Mandela. Speaking to a Joint Session of Congress
Nelson Mandela: "On the initiative of the ANC, the process towards the conclusion of a peaceful settlement has started. According to a logic dictated by our situation, we are engaged in an effort which includes the removal of obstacles to negotiations. This will be followed by a negotiated determination of the mechanism which will draw up the new constitution. This should lead to the formation of this constitution-making institution and therefore the elaboration and adoption of a democratic constitution. Elections would then be held on the basis of this constitution and, for the first time, South Africa would have a body of law-makers which would, like yourselves, be mandated by the whole people. Despite the admitted commitment of President de Klerk to walk this road with us, and despite our acceptance of his integrity and the honesty of his purposes, we would be fools to believe that the road ahead of us is without major hurdles. Too many among our white compatriots are steeped in the ideology of racism to admit easily that change must come. Tragedy may yet sully the future we pray and work for if these slaves of the past take up alms in a desperate effort to resist the process which must lead to the democratic transformation of our country. (applause) For those who care to worry about violence in our country, as we do, it is at these forces that they should focus their attention, a process in which we are engaged. We must contend still with the reality that South Africa is a country in the grip of the apartheid crime against humanity. The consequences of this continue to be felt not only within our borders but throughout southern Africa which continues to harvest the bitter fruits of conflict and war, especially in Mozambique and Angola. Peace will not come to our country and region until the apartheid system is ended. (Standing ovation)
Speeches of Nelson Mandela. Speaking to a Joint Session of Congress
Nelson Mandela: "Therefore we say we still have a struggle on our hands. Our common and noble efforts to abolish the system of white minority domination must continue. We are encouraged and strengthened by the fact of the agreement between ourselves, this Congress as well as President Bush and his administration, that sanctions should remain in place. (Standing ovation) The purpose for which they were imposed has not yet been achieved. (applause) We have yet to arrive at the point when we can say that South Africa is set on an irreversible course leading to its transformation into a united, democratic and non-racial country. (applause) We plead that you cede the prerogative to the people of South Africa to determine the moment when it will be said that profound changes have occurred and an irreversible process achieved, enabling you and the rest of the international community to lift sanctions. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the principled struggle you waged which resulted in the adoption of the historic Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act which made such a decisive contribution to the process of moving our country forward towards negotiations. We request that you go further and assist us with the material resources which will enable us to promote the peace process and meet other needs which arise from the changing situation you have helped to bring about."
Speeches of Nelson Mandela. Speaking to a Joint Session of Congress
Nelson Mandela: "The stand you took established the understanding among the millions of our people that here we have friends, here we have fighters against racism who feel hurt because we are hurt, who seek our success because they too seek the victory of democracy over tyranny. And here I speak not only about you, members of the United States Congress, but also of the millions of people throughout this great land who stood up and engaged the apartheid system in struggle. (applause) The masses who have given us such strength and joy by the manner in which they have received us since we arrived in this country. Mr Speaker, Mr President, Senators and Representatives: We went to jail because it was impossible to sit still while the obscenity of the apartheid system was being imposed on our people. (applause) It would have been immoral to keep quiet while a racist tyranny sought to reduce an entire people into a status worse than that of the beasts of the forest. It would have been an act of treason against the people and against our conscience to allow fear and the drive towards self-preservation to dominate our behaviour, obliging us to absent ourselves from the struggle for democracy and human rights, not only in our country but throughout the world. (applause) We could not have made an acquaintance through literature with human giants such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson and not been moved to act as they were moved to act." (Standing ovation)