South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the first IBSA Gandhi-Mandela Memorial Freedom Lecture. Highlights from the Speech are:
- Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela wanted to see the elimination of poverty and a world where nations respect one another and multilateralism was upheld and respected and there was tolerance for each other’s religion, race, caste and regional affiliation.
- India and South Africa are separated by an ocean but bound together by the collective energies of people. The legacies of Gandhi and Mandela have never been more important than they are today. Both India and South Africa have a collective role in addressing the global economy which is facing a number of challenges right now.
- President Ramaphosa India and South Africa recalled the words of Jawaharlal Nehru’s who called Asia and Africa sister continents in 1955.
- President Ramaphosa remembered Ahmed Kathrada and Ismail Mohammad for their contribution to South Africa’s democracy and Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Ela Gandhi for playing a leading role in the women’s movement in South Africa.
- President Ramaphosa thanked people of India for their courage, encouragement, inspiration they have sent during our struggle for liberation. He noted that India’s consistent solidarity towards liberation struggles of not just South Africa but of other countries as well
- The legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela go far beyond their stature as the founding fathers of our two great countries India and South Africa.
- President Ramaphosa lauded efforts of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela on justice and liberty, for human dignity and human rights and non-violent resistance.
IBSA
IBSA is an international tripartite grouping for promoting international cooperation among India, Brazil and South Africa. IBSA symbolises three important poles for galvanizing South-South cooperation and greater understanding between three important continents of the developing world namely, Africa, Asia and South America.
IBSA provides with a platform for the three countries to engage in discussions for cooperation in the field of agriculture, trade, culture, and defence among others.