The village boy -- Spattering out of the nest -- The daring spirit of youthfulness -- Testimony: black teachers who taught and taught -- Triumph over Bantu Education -- Some echoing themes from university life -- In the midst of a complex society -- Trials and tribulations as an attorney -- Why they did not fail -- Letting the sky be the limit -- Through the lens of a judge -- Taking a leap of faith -- The ultimate challenge: Judicial transformation -- Across the frontiers.
Summary:
"The book selects some past events and experiences, national and international, and wonders what lessons were missed, learnt, or are yet to be learnt from them. Tragedies happen again and again because we fail to learn from the past. The past is rich with valuable lessons - rich pickings. The reader is taken back into the past in search of some of those lessons, many of which, regrettably, we failed - and continue failing - to learn. As we dig into the past for those rich pickings, there will be moments to laugh, cry or even weep; but that is exactly how lessons are learnt in life. Other similar incidents learnt from, both abroad and at home, relate to the author's own experiences in South Africa, including as a Judge who heard amnesty applications as a member of the Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The book hopes to show that capacity for evil is not peculiar to any nation or race; it also discusses the dangers of tribalism. The chapter 'Beyond the Frontiers' takes the reader into the rest of Africa. A lot is revealed, including divisions the author witnessed - while serving as an AU judge based in Tanzania - within the AU along the languages of, ironically, colonial masters; also referenced is the sorry state of human rights in Africa. Have we seized the opportunity to learn all the valuable lessons which that great teacher, 'The Past', offered? "-- Back cover .
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.