White minority rule dominated South African politics from 1949 until the first democratic election in 1994. The transition to democracy was long and painful and marked with tragic racist dominance, violent protests, and a long liberation struggle. By 1996 Nelson Mandela was the elected leader of the government of national unity, the first democratically elected parliament in South Africa’s history. Although democratically elected, Members of Parliament represented many diverse interests and political persuasions. Interesting debates ensued, and the rich dialogue that the inclusive parliament enabled was healthy for the developing nation. Pivotal to all this work is the South African constitution which has, as one of its three main pillars: The Right to a healthy Environment.

Sadly, old inequalities and prejudices are still evident today. However, most importantly of all, we can learn to change and become more respectful of each other. In isiZulu there is a saying uMuntu Ngomuntu Ngabantu: “people are people through other people”. This is a beautiful statement that captures the inclusivity of humanity. In other words, no person is an island. It also outlines how people are more similar than cultures. So, whether one grows up as a Russian, an American or a Zulu, one’s similarities with others could well be stronger than the so-called cultural differences.