Today 5 of us visited the Apartheid Museum, packed with sometimes brutal reminders illustrating apartheid and the complex 20th century history of SA. I generally whisk through museums but this one was very compelling. "Man's inhumanity to man", a common theme in the world's literature, is certainly exemplified by apartheid. Even though I just read all about it, I can't fathom the mindset behind white supremacy. I think it's mostly about fear, and about losing power when you're a minority. I read that one of the main reasons "they" didn't want to give black people the vote is because there were too many of them!

SA's Truth and Reconciliation initiative has lots of parallels to Canada's. But there is still a long way to go (in both countries). SA continues to be rife with crime, poverty and inequality. 32% of South Africans are unemployed and 56% live below the poverty line.

"To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." Nelson Mandela