Mandela visits campus for McCarthy Residency

It’s not every day that an internationally recognized peace and human rights activist visits CSB/SJU. It’s also not every day that the activist is the great-grandson of the late legendary South African president Nelson Mandela.

Siyabulela Mandela is taking up residency at CSB/SJU in coordination with the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civil Engagement and the Multicultural Center. He arrived on March 20 and will live on campus at SJU until April 17.

“We like to bring in someone that has not only the skills and background we’re looking for but also does the things that they’re writing about, and Mandela is definitely that,” said Matt Lindstrom, political science professor and director of the McCarthy Center.

Outside of traveling to speak and teach at places around the world, Mandela works for the Toronto-based organization Journalists for Human Rights. They work with over 10 African nations on a variety of goals, but their main purpose is to advance media development as a cornerstone in those countries.

He graduated from Nelson Mandela University in South Africa with a doctorate degree in international relations and conflict resolution in December. He also has experience as a visiting scholar at other institutions, including at George Mason University in 2018.

A major part of Mandela’s visit is the class he is teaching, Global Activism: Youth and Social Movements. The class, which takes place from 6:15 to 9:15 p.m. in Simons 360 on Thursday nights, is centered around the involvement of youth in modern political activism. Lindstrom said that anyone is welcome to sit in on the class.

“As a young person myself, I’ve went through the very same experiences that many students in these contemporary times are going through, so what I’ll be teaching here is actually, for me, a lived experience,” Mandela said.

The class’s first meeting was on March 24, during which Mandela discussed the history of South Africa and the importance of youth involvement in activism.

“I am of the view that each generation must discover its purpose,” Mandela said. “The question that we will most often ask each other in every lesson in class is what is the purpose of this generation? Do we think we are fulfilling our purpose, or are we betraying it?”

Lindstrom and Mandela met in 2019 when Lindstrom spoke at an event at Nelson Mandela University while leading a study abroad trip to South Africa.

McCarthy Center student coordinators Emmett Adam and Lizbet Martinez-Port are managing Mandela’s time at the schools. Adam, along with fellow McCarthy Center student coordinator Fardusa Ahmed, spoke about Mandela’s easygoing nature and approachability.

“He’s super relaxed [and] very funny,” Adam said. “[He’s] a lot of fun to talk to; there’s definitely no short conversation with him. [He’s] just an absolute pleasure to host, very easy to plan things for.”

Mandela’s visit is this year’s version of the McCarthy Residency, sponsored by the McCarthy Center. The first McCarthy Residency took place in 2008, when former editor of The Hill and 1958 SJU graduate Al Eisele stayed on campus.

In the remaining three weeks of his residency at CSB/SJU, Mandela is scheduled to continue meeting with and presenting to community members, including speaking at the 2022 Spring McCarthy Center Lecture on April 7. He visited members of the White Earth Nation at White Earth this past weekend and is scheduled to visit with youth leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement in Minneapolis next weekend.

“He’s super personable,” Ahmed said. “It doesn’t feel like there’s a barrier, or [that] you’d be too shy to approach him. I think I appreciate that because it aligns a lot with the work that he does, and it just shows that he’s an intentional person, which I admire.”

For Mandela, his time here is another step toward fulfilling his ultimate goal.

“The most important part of the work that I do is the purpose, and the purpose is quite simple,” Mandela said. “We are trying to change the world for the better.”