Sunday, December 8, 2013

Madiba

Flags are at half mast here, as in so many other places around the world, after the passing of Nelson Mandela. There are connections for the great man here, as particularly the Mulroney government spoke out against the apartheid regime in general and Mandela's imprisonment in particular, even causing friction with allies at the time. And upon his release from prison, the first foreign legislature he addressed was here, in our House of Commons. He was also made an honourary citizen of Canada.


The Human Rights Monument is downtown here, outside City Hall. Mandela, or Madiba, as he was also called, visited this place on one of his trips to Canada. Yesterday I took shots of the monument. It seemed entirely appropriate.


He was- and is- the most extraordinary person of our time. I admire him greatly. A man who could walk out of prison after years, willing to forgive those who kept him locked up, eager to move forward. That capacity for forgiveness astonishes me. He was a man of wisdom, grace, dignity, courage, strength, and inherent decency. Nelson Mandela is that rare combination of a great and a good man, an example for us to strive to be like. The world is a darker one now that he's gone.

I enjoy the work of editorial cartoonists, who meet such occasions with great poignancy, so I'll leave you with their work. What follows are the works of several cartoonists from various places around the world, responding to the passing of the great man. Rest in peace, Mr. Mandela. 

Paresh Nath, Khaleej Times
Martin Sutovec, Cagle Cartoons

Aislin, Montreal Gazette
Theo Moudakis, Toronto Star
Patrick Chapatte, Le Temps


John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune
Brian Gable, The Globe And Mail
Bill Day, Cagle Cartoons
Patrick LaMontagne, Cartoon Ink
Tim Dolighan, Dolighan Cartoons


20 comments:

  1. A wonderful tribute. Your words are perfect on this sad occasion. But let us rejoice his life.

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  2. The brigde is a particularly good one I think.

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  3. He was a great, great man. There is no monument to him in our city. I'm glad you made this tribute to him. I mourn him too :^(

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  4. Wow, this is a wonderful tribute to a very great man.

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  5. He was the right man at the right time. I like the face that Canada made him an honorary citizen. Cool!

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  6. He set an example for all of us. May we show tribute to him by following that example.

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  7. @Gerald: he'll be missed.

    @Stuart: he has earned his rest.

    @Ciel: yes, I like that one.

    @Tamera: the monument seemed right as I was passing by, so the shot essentially presented itself.

    @Sharon: thank you!

    @RedPat: thanks!

    @Joan: he also was given the Order of Canada.

    @Norma: he was the best of us.

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  8. I particularly like the quotes you chose to feature.

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  9. “He was a man, take him for all in all,
    I shall not look upon his like again.”
    ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet

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  10. Thank You William. A very nice post for sad moment. I like the cartoon with paradise gate.

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  11. Often greatness is not recognized by the masses until it's no longer there.

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  12. Lovely post to a gem now gone forever - we need more like him. So cool to see/learn of his connections to your neck of the woods!

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  13. Nice post! He left the world a better place. I am grateful that he got to live so long, especially after sacrificing so much.

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  14. Excellent post, nicely put. We can all learn from his example - I hope.

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  15. @Oakland: the quote John Darkow chose to use for his seems to speak to me most of all.

    @Kate: that is a very appropriate quote for the occasion.

    @Inna: I've seen a few cartoonists doing that theme.

    @EG: thank you!

    @Beatrice: In this case, so many of us saw the greatness in him for a long time.

    @LondonLulu: We definitely need more like him.

    @Linda: he certainly did leave the world a better place to be in.

    @Mike: thank you!

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  16. Interesting reading a Canadian perspective on Nelson Mandela, a great man.

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