Portsmouth
United Kingdom
July 21, 2022
A member of the UK House of Lords, Baroness Sandy Verma, has reiterated the importance of Nelson Mandela’s legacy of inclusion in today’s global environment. She made this known in her remark during the Webinar organized by Brand South Africa, in partnership with the African Leadership Magazine UK.
The webinar, titled Leadership through the Lens of Nelson Mandela: Lessons for Today’s Global Environment, was organized is part of activities to mark the 2022 Nelson Mandela Day, held annually in July to commemorate the UN declaration, celebrating the leadership legacies of the great Nelson Mandela.
According to Baroness Verma, “when we talk about leadership through the lens of Nelson Mandela, one of the things that we must not forget, is the recent event of COVID. The event of COVID thought us that unless everybody was safe, nobody was safe. Yet, we witnessed how so many people in poor countries, were left out of the great speed in getting a vaccination. That did not deter those countries from looking at their own solutions and I think that was a turning point for many people to realize that they have the strength in their own hands and great confidence in what they themselves can deliver.”
While highlighting the need for greater partnership and collaboration, Baroness Verma
stated that “the world is split into two – the west with an ageing population; and the developing world with a dividend of young people. So, we cannot ignore the fact that at some point, there are going to be some kind of interdependencies across those borders. We should therefore begin to revisit the way we exist, side by side.”
Baroness Verma also emphasized Nelson Mandela’s commitment to peace. In her own words, “Nelson Mandela was a pioneer in enduring white minority rule in South Africa and post-apartheid, he didn’t come out with anger and hate, but, with reconciliation. He also came with a mission towards building a country that wanted to eradicate poverty.”
“I always say, when you dream, the best way to achieve that dream is by including the dreams of other people, because, having a single dream, will not change the way the world exists. We still live in a time when the leaders who hold the levers of power, make decisions that do not always include the majority of the populace. If we have learnt anything from great leaders like Nelson Mandela, it is that we have got to reach out, she said.”
The webinar was organized by Brand South Africa in strategic partnership with the African Leadership Magazine UK. It had speakers drawn from the political and diplomatic communities, including Lord Peter Hain, a Member House of Lords, Baroness Sandy Verma, a member House of Lords, Pumela Salela, UK country Head, Brand South Africa, Kingsley Okeke, Group Managing Editor, African Leadership Magazine U.K. In their responses to the discussions, Dr Liaqat Alli Azam, CEO of Leading Like Mandela Leadership Institute, and Dr Thelela Ngcetane-Vika, of Traversing a Leadership Avalanche, took turns to underscore each speaker’s contributions and how it relates to the prevailing challenges confronting the world.
The webinar, which is designed to celebrate one of Africa’s most extraordinary leadership exports-Nelson Mandela, is organized in partnership with the African Leadership Magazine U.K.
The world is at a critical juncture and in dire need of leadership. With the rising cases of Coup De tat in West Africa and the global uncertainties occasioned by the war between Ukraine and Russia – leading to a deeply polarized world, this conversation is as important today as it was many years ago.
Nelson Mandela is an asset to South Africa, Africa and the world. This event helps to therefore remind leaders across all facets, including governments, civil society and business, that leadership is all that matters in critical times.
The webinar also explored how leaders can draw inspiration from Nelson Mandela’s leadership style and apply it to business, civil society and government. They will reflect on how they view leadership through the lens of Nelson Mandela.
About Brand South Africa
Brand South Africa is the official marketing agency of South Africa, with a mandate to build the country’s brand reputation to improve its global competitiveness. Brand South Africa’s primary focus is to develop and implement proactive, coordinated marketing and communications reputation management strategies for South Africa. Our main objective is to market South Africa to domestic and international audiences, positioning South Africa as a competitive investment destination and inspiring and instilling active citizenship amongst South Africans.
About African Leadership Magazine:
The African Leadership magazine is published by African Leadership (U.K.) Limited a company registered in the United Kingdom. The magazine focuses on bringing Africa’s best to a global audience, telling the African story from an African perspective; while evolving solutions to peculiar challenges the continent faces today.
Since its maiden edition, African Leadership Magazine has become a leading pan-African flagship leadership-focused publication read by over 1 200 000 targeted international investors, business executives, government policymakers, and multilateral agencies in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Europe, and the U.S. It is distributed at major international and African Leadership events around the world.
The magazine has over 1 000,000 subscribers/Followers on Facebook and a virile readership on other social media platforms. It is a niche and unbiased African voice born out of a desire to tell the African story from an African perspective by focusing on individuals and corporates known for their legacy-based approach to leadership.
END
