December 2013 - Special Edition

IIPT Bids Farewell to Nelson Mandela

The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) joins with millions of people throughout the world in honoring and celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela. He will live on through his legacy of peace, justice and reconciliation that will carry forward for generations to come as an inspiration to all. His enormous contributions provide a beacon of hope for a new way forward towards a world free of oppression and violence where all can live with dignity and in harmony with one another.

 “The world has lost a visionary leader, a courageous voice for justice, and a clear moral compass. By showing us that the path to freedom and human dignity lies in love, wisdom and compassion for one another, Nelson Mandela stands as an inspiration to us all……….Madiba’s legacy beckons us to follow his example to strive for human rights, reconciliation and justice for all.”                                   Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General and Chai of The Elders

"No sun outlasts its sunset, but will rise again and bring the dawn. Yes, Mandela's day is done. Yet we, his inheritors, will open the gates wider for reconciliation. And we will respond generously to the cries of blacks and whites, Asians, Hispanics, the poor who live piteously on the floor of our planet. He has offered us understanding, we will not withhold forgiveness, even for those who do not ask.

Nelson Mandela's day is done. We confess it in tearful voices. Yet we lift our own to say thank you. Thank you, our Gideon. Thank you, our David, our great, courageous man. We will not forget you. We will not dishonor you. We will remember and be glad that you lived among us, that you taught us and that you loved us all."                                                                                                                                                               Tribute from Maya Angelou