In 1995 South Africa was struggling to move forward from segregation to integration. The nation was divided by long standing beliefs and prejudices fueled by the separation of white people from from the black population. Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid revolutionary, and new to the role of President, was struggling to find a way to bring his country together. The movie Invictus, based on true events stared Morgan Freeman who portrayed Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon playing the role of Francois Peinaar, the all-star Captain of the all-white rugby team called the Springboks.
South Africa, would be the home to the rugby world cup, and so Mandela encourages both whites and blacks to come together for the love of their countries team. Instead of focusing on their differences which seemed to set them apart, he focused on what they had in common. Mandela knew he would have a challenge ahead of him as he was surrounded by a population that had been influenced by prejudices for generations. He knew however that if he could get his people to open their minds and their hearts, they could put their differences aside and unite as a country. Mandela was in a leadership role with what almost seemed like an impossible task. Even though he could not predict the outcome he did not give up on his vision.
Nelson spent years as a political prisoner which prepared him for his role of President. He was a leader that had a tremendous amount of courage and was willing to step outside the norm of common thinking. This cost him dearly, with having lost many years of his freedom. Mandela knew though that doing the right thing is never easy. Other great leaders in history too have had to show courage in order to show others the way. He knew never to give up, even in his darkest hour, if it meant changing his country for the better.
As a political leader, Nelson Mandela knew he had the attention of the world and could leverage his influence in order to put pressure on his countrymen to do the right thing. He was a speaker of the people and was the voice to those that were unable to speak for themselves. In an effort to bring reconciliation to his country though, he knew he had to encourage the black people to make the first step. He did this by encouraging the black population to come out and support the Springbok Rugby team. Mandela took the approach of forgiveness which opened up discussions on truth and reconciliation.
Mandela was known as a person that tackled issues head on. In the movie when he was first in office, employees were packing their bags expecting to be fired. He immediately addressed the issue by calling a meeting with his staff to dispel any rumors and then followed by giving his expectations, wasting no time.
Perhaps a more challenging leadership role in the movie Invictus, was that of Francios Peinaar. Francios was faced with changing the beliefs of white people that had been enjoying a comfortable and privileged life. Prejudices that had passed down for generations both in government, family and in everyday life. The effects of segregation made life difficult for the black population as crime and poverty were prevalent. This created a whole other level of socital issues including mental health and effects from drugs and alcohol. In turn this created fear amongst the white people that the blacks could not be trusted. Francios Peinaar’s father in the movie, spoke of the kind of mistrust when he said “they are going to take our jobs and drive us to the sea” (Invictus movie 2009).
In the end, the movie Invictus showed how the country was able to come together and head down the path of reconciliation. The country went on to win the world cup which brought all people together to celebrate a common win. Throughout history there have been examples of leaders that have helped to create common ground for all men, woman and children. In Canada today for example, we are only at the beginning of reconciliation with indigenous people. One cannot help but see the similarities of the apartheid movement with the Canadian Indian Act. Canada however does not have a Nelson Mandela leading the way. With Canada being as large as it is and with many indigenous communities in remote areas does this make the topic of truth and reconciliation less of an interest amongst other world issues? If so how does Canada come together and unite a country that has also experienced segregation, poverty amongst indigenous people and all other social issues that have come from years of abuses to our indigenous people?
You raise some interesting questions regarding the role of leadership in addressing current and historical issues of injustice and oppression. What role do you think indigenous leaders can/will play in truth and reconciliation in Canada? What role do you think leaders from other cultural backgrounds can/will play?
— Leadership Prof
I think my responsibility as an indigenous leader is to help bridge the gap to reconciliation. To get to the truth, I feel like its important to be approachable so that others feel comfortable asking questions (I don’t now how we begin to reconcile unless there is an understanding on how we got to where we are today). In working with other leaders and cultures, in my experience most people want to be part of reconciliation but don’t know where to begin or what reconciliation means. Sometimes taking the first step and being part of another persons community opens up the dialogue. An example of this is in my approach to business and how we strategically locate ourselves and align with local governments. Economic development between communities is an area where were share common ground and so is an easy and quick way to start chipping away at reconciliation. For the lelem cafes, strategically leasing from the Township of Langley has opened up further opportunities. The same idea has been applied to other locations such as Parks Canada and the City of Richmond. We now have additional communities including New Westminster, Surrey and Maple Ridge all wanting lelem cafes in their community. The lelem cafes are so much more than a coffee shop as they provide that ongoing link to the Kwantlen community. By being present every day we are engaging in other activities such as cultural programming, land development partnerships and in cultural spaces. This further serves to educate the public and provide opportunities to be involved in reconciliation. I tell customers when drinking a cup of coffee they are buying a cup of reconciliation. It’s allowing us to provide employment opportunities to indigenous people and to create economic wealth for our nation. That economic wealth then can be used toward education and health programs for our community. Without even knowing it we have customers from all walks of life being part of the solution and part of reconciliation.