Exploration 11

The passage when Mandela says, "This reward will not be measured in money. Nor can it be reckoned in collective price of the rare metals and precious stones that rest in the bowels of the African soil we tread in the footsteps of our ancestors" makes me realize that freedom is more than anything. We are so used to being free because most of us were born in America. I always know that I am being treated fairly when I do something wrong and that I receive a fair reward when I perform well in whatever I am doing. What I found interesting about Mandela was that he went to jail for planning to overrun the government with violence. Mandela was actually fighting against the violence ironically. While he was in jail his reputation became better because he refused to change his political views. Today in South Africa, President Jacob Zuma is likely to be re-elected as president. Five of the nine countries provinces support Zuma to be re-elected as president. This helps to show South Africa is growing if the population is willing to re-elect a president.

            The Dalai Lama is a Buddhist monk who is believed to have been a re-incarnated version of past spiritual leaders. His role is to help enlighten others on the Buddhist religion. The Dalai Lama just wants Chinese forces to leave Tibet and to have those who are not Tibetans to relocate. Ever since the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India in 1951, China has rules over Tibet saying that China has "liberated" the region from the Dalai Lama. I feel that China should give back what is not rightfully theirs. They took over a peaceful country and from what I read, the inhabitants are not happy about it. China does not want to give this large amount of land up however.

           

11      http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-bio.html

22      http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/28/us-safrica-politics-idUSBRE8AR0VL20121128

33      http://articles.cnn.com/2009-03-10/world/india.dalai_1_dalai-lama-leader-of-tibetan-buddhists-chinese-officials?_s=PM:WORLD