Today was a very important day for me because I got to meet with Dave Steward, Chief of Staff to former South African President, F.W. de Klerk.

President de Klerk is responsible for freeing Nelson Mandela, and the two men received the Nobel Peace Prize together. Mr. Steward is also the former South African Ambassador to the United Nations. Needless to say, Mr. Steward is a very important man with a long career in politics.

I felt really good about my conversation with Mr. Steward. All of the reading and research I have done up to this point helped to prepare me for a discussion about the past, present, and future of South Africa. We spoke about how the South African Constitution was formed, implemented, and maintained. For instance, even though the new consititution was written in the early 1990s, the government of South Africa chose to write a completely original document. They could have modeled it after many other succesful constitutions, yet, they realized the importance of tailoring it to fit South Africa’s special needs and growing democracy. One other aspect of this process was the incorporation of every group in South Africa. This meant that even the Nationalist Party, which had a great deal to do with the enforcement of apartheid, got to contribute to the final document. Everyone had a say and everyone was represented.

We also spoke of the hardships the country faces today, and what we as global citizens, can do to help the upward journey of South Africa. So much about this country has changed so quickly, and Mr. Steward has seen all of it first-hand. It was a privledge to get his unique perspective on these historic events.

(FYI: The South African President at the time of our meeting with Mr. Steward was Thabo Mbeki.)

Enhance your knowledge of South African History: Learn about international pressure and sanctions.

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