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PEACE AND RECONCILIATION –MANDELA CENTRE DENMARK

Foreword by Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (former Prime Minister of Denmark)

The 20th century was characterized by war, terror and genocide which often arose out of the urge for revenge. However, there was one brilliant ray of light with reference to peaceful solutions of conflicts, injustice and attacks against an entire population group and a threatening civil war.

That was Nelson Mandela’s unique effort which led to a peaceful transition from injustice under the apartheid regime in South Africa to democracy and equality between races. It was a development which few people would have thought possible without bloodshed. A development which was followed up by the work of TRC - the Truth and Reconciliation Commission - for a peaceful dismantling of apartheid’s brutal oppression of South Africa’s black population, who have been able to lay aside their pain and sorrow without bloodshed.

As I was able to follow the efforts of the greatest statesman of our time in his tireless activity at close hand, I can warmly recommend everyone to support his thoughts and practice by joining or becoming a sponsor of the Association for Peace and Reconciliation: Mandela Centre Denmark

The Idea of a Foundation

The Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation (Mandela Centre Denmark) shall ensure that Mandela’s life, work and thoughts are remembered and utilized.

The Foundation shall ensure that the philosophy behind the TRC is utilized in other conflict areas, as it is only through reconciliation that we can contribute to stopping conflicts and prevent new ones arising.

When a person has spent 27½ years in prison and then can take the lead of a process of reconciliation, which is not built on hatred but on forgiveness, then other people can learn from this.

We who live in a peaceful part of the world have also have a responsibility for this to happen.

The Aims of the Association and the Foundation

The overall aim of the Association and the Foundation is to work for forgiveness, truth, peace and reconciliation.

The Association and the Foundation shall actively contribute to an understanding of the fact, that conflicts are solved by reconciliation rather than threats of war and war itself. Peace cannot be reached by war, but through negotiations. The task of reaching this understanding shall take place based on the experiences of South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy.

The Association and the Foundation shall pass on the belief that individuals can change the world by raising issues and creating debate.

The work of the Association and the Foundation shall build on the global perspective that builds on humanism, compassion and give place to diversity. As expressed in the South African term ‘Ubuntu’ – ‘a person is a person through other people’.

The Association and the Foundation shall work for inclusiveness among people, in society and in the world.

The Association for Peace and Reconciliation

The membership organization ‘The Association for Peace and Reconciliation’ will set up the necessary network and popular and financial basis for the establishment of the ‘Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation’

The independent organization shall

# Collect material on Nelson Mandela’s life, work and thinking and make this collection accessible to the public

# Contribute to ensure that the South African experience is documented and used to solve conflicts in other parts of the world.

# Develop and support information and educational material and activities, including roving exhibitions and web-exhibitions and newsletters in Danish and English

# Co-operate with other organizations and peace groups globally.

The Centre will at first be established as a virtual centre.

www.mandelacenter.dk

On this website you can learn more about Mandela Centre Denmark and the Association and Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation.

The Association’s international activities

The Association will strive to contribute internationally to spreading information and knowledge about the aims: Peace through reconciliation. This will be conducted in co-operation with other organizations that want to help in areas, countries and regions that have been in conflict and at war.

The Association’s activities in Denmark

In Denmark the Association will strive to bring conflicting parties together and inform on peace and reconciliation by

# holding conferences

# participating in the public debate

# cultural arrangements and lectures

An active centre – a children’s museum

We want to create an activity centre that will conduct workshops, educational programs and exhibitions especially aimed at children and youth – about South African history and culture with Nelson Mandela’s life as the point of departure.

We want to make children and youth aware of concepts like racism, apartheid, discrimination, xenophobia, ostracism, prejudice, victimization, fear, conflicts and of being different. Using IT, interactivity and role playing and media (video and web) we hope that children and youth and their parents experience and get insights into forgiveness, peace and reconciliation having great relevance for their everyday life.

Membership

You can support the formation of the foundation by becoming a member or sponsor of the Association for Peace and Reconciliation:

Personal membership DKr 250 per annum – gives access to activities and newsletter

Organization membership: DKr 1000. - and DKr 5000 for companies p.a.

Support contributions and sponsorships by agreement.

Initiators and Board of the Association for Peace and Reconciliation

Hardy Hansen, Chairperson, former MP and chairperson of the General Workers Union (SID)

Rikke Forchhammer, Deputy Chairperson, teacher at Krogerup Folk High School. Leader of Papaya choir, specialized in African culture (has lived and traveled in southern and eastern Africa since 1969)

Maria Rytter, museum curator who wrote a book on Nelson Mandela and organized the first big roving exhibition on Nelson Mandela

Jørgen Pedersen, journalist and TV producer who has worked on documentaries on South Africa during apartheid


John Hansen, South African born anti-apartheid activist who worked for the ANC in Denmark and is currently employed at the South African Embassy

Kaj Olsen, treasurer of the Danish Functionary and Service Union.

Hans Jørgen Jensen, former MP and union chairperson

Kjeld Aakjær, international consultant, many years of experience of international conflict resolution in NGO and UN sphere.

Allan Weppenaar Pedersen, born in Cape Town, South Africa, self-employed teacher and accountancy consultant

Lise Poulsen, dramatist , specialist in forum theatre and conflict resolution- has worked on integration and cultural relations since 1985.

Nils Ekner, urban planner, former chairperson of World Music Association in Denmark – has lived, worked and traveled in Eastern and Southern Africa since 1977


Among initiators are also

Carl Aage Nørgaard, professor, Dr of law, Helle Nørgaard, former police chief constable (both were key persons to the formulation of the criteria which the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission used to award amnesty for political crimes committed during apartheid years.)

Furthermore, the following engaged persons participated in and supported the work of the Association:

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, former Danish Prime Minister, now leader of the European Social Democrats in the EU parliament

Mette Frederiksen, Member of Parliament, deputy chairperson of the Danish Social Democrats.

Poul Erik Skov Christensen, Chairperson of 3F Union