Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Is ócáid bhrónach é bás Nelson Mandela, i slí amháin, ach níl sé brónach i slí eile toisc go bhfuil faoiseamh aige anois ón bhfulaingt, ón bpian agus ón drochshláinte a bhí aige le déanaí.

The title of Nelson Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, encapsulates his life and work, which title he adapted from a statement by the late Indian Prime Minister Nehru entitled No Easy Walk to Freedom. For Mandela and his comrades it was a long walk to freedom. It certainly was not an easy walk to freedom for them. The opening paragraph of his autobiography describes the name given to him by his father, a name which literally means "pulling the branch of a tree" and colloquially, more accurately, means "a trouble-maker". I guess that is what he was for most, if not all, of his life.

Nelson Mandela acknowledged being a member of the royal household, although trained not for rule but to counsel the rulers of the tribe. We know he was a ruler. In his writings and speeches and in the many roles he held he was a counsellor. His words and philosophy will be sources of wisdom, enlightenment and guidance for those in leadership roles, locally, nationally and personally.

He stood up to the political situation and tyranny, exploitation and oppression of his people. His commitment was to democracy. When speaking from the dock at his trial in 1964 he said that fear should not be allowed stand in the way of equality. He also said that his ideal was of a democratic and free society in which all persons lived together in harmony and with equal opportunities, an ideal for which he was prepared to die and which resulted in his being imprisoned on Robben Island for 27 years. Another quality was his humility. Following his release in 1990 he said in Cape Town that he stood before the people as their humble servant, placing his remaining years in the hands of his people.

The military wing of the ANC was formed in 1960, at which time the organisation resorted to an armed struggle. For Nelson Mandela and the giants of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo, this was a defensive action against the violence of apartheid. It was in reaction to the massacre at Sharpeville, which was a peaceful protest met with violence. At that time he stated: "When all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us a decision was made to embark on a violent form of political struggle." They then reached the point of, as described by Robert Frost in "The Road not Taken", two roads diverged in a yellow wood and had to decide whether to continue on the road to violence or take the other road. They chose the other road, of which Mandela said: "That made all the difference". When being sworn in as President of South Africa in 1994 he committed to constructing a complete, just and lasting peace. He said at that time that it was: "Time for the healing of wounds and to bridge the chasms that divide". Nelson Mandela and his comrades were able to turn from bitterness and hatred to reconciliation. There are many people today whose lives are consumed by bitterness and hatred, which bitterness and hatred brings suffering for other people.

I also speak today as the chairperson of the Irish section of the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa, AWEPA, which was established in 1984 out of the struggle to eradicate apartheid. At that time, many European Parliaments set up groups to campaign for the abolition of apartheid and to create international pressure for Mandela's release from prison. On his release Nelson Mandela met AWEPA members and encouraged them to continue their work to help strengthen democracy in Africa. His wife, Graca Machel, along with Archbishop Desmond Tutu are members of AWEPA's eminent advisory board. That work continues. We know that democracy in Africa is constantly being challenged. Today, it is the Central African Republic, yesterday it was DRC, the day before it was Mali and tomorrow, who knows? So many countries are in fragile situations. There is certainly no easy road to freedom for these countries. Nelson Mandela sought justice, peace, work, bread, water and salt. Many countries are now deprived of these basic rights. The developing countries of Africa are under pressure from a different form of colonialism in the form of multinational companies who do not pay their just taxes. We see this in the competition between land for food for the developing countries and land for biofuels for developed countries.

In his 1994 speech, Nelson Mandela referred to the amnesty for the various categories of people then serving time in prison. I hope his words then will reach those countries in which prisoners are being held in unfair and unjust circumstances without charge and the right to a fair trial, be that in Northern Ireland, Israel, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan or the Cuban five situation in America. Mandela had a particular interest in Cuba. He said he was inspired by the Cuban revolution of 1959 because Castro in Cuba opposed apartheid at a time when other countries were not supporting the ANC. Fidel Castro visited South Africa and Nelson Mandela visited Cuba. To see the American President, Barrack Obama, and Cuban President, Raúl Castro on the same platform today shaking hands was very moving. President Obama's words today, which is International Human Rights Day, that, "There are two many of us who happily embrace Mandela's legacy of racial reconciliation but passionately resist even modest reforms that would challenge chronic poverty and growing inequality", were interesting.

We speak today about Nelson Mandela as a political leader but he was also a husband, father, grandfather and friend. I sympathise with all those who miss and mourn him.

See this speech in context