Zen balance in life

Mandela possessed an unshakeable belief in the power of empathy, honesty and dialogue to heal the deepest and most intractable wounds. His magnanimity towards his former oppressors won the admiration of South Africans and people around the world, and greatly eased his country’s transition to democracy. His lifelong pursuit of racial peace and reconciliation earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 — and the next year, Mandela became the first black president of South Africa, in a momentous election that for the first time allowed South Africans of all ethnic origins to vote.