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	Nelson Mandela embodied what he proclaimed by Desmond Tutu The Elders South Africa   The Elders are deeply saddened by the death of their founder, Nelson Mandela. They join millions of people around the world who were inspired by his courage and touched by his compassion. All will mourn his passing.   Mandela – or Madiba as he is known in South Africa – called the Elders together in 2007, urging them to be bold, independent and to speak the truth. He told them to be a robust force for good, and to work in the interests of peace for all humanity.   The Elders have taken Madiba’s words as their mission and endeavour to honour his memory in their work. On this sad day they give their love and condolences to his wife Graça Machel, who is also a member of The Elders, and all the Mandela family.   Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General, Chair of The Elders, said:   “The world has lost a visionary leader, a courageous voice for justice, and a clear moral compass. By showing us that the path to freedom and human dignity lies in love, wisdom and compassion for one another, Nelson Mandela stands as an inspiration to us all.   “I shall never forget his expansive smile and gentle demeanour, nor his steely determination and wonderful sense of humour. I have lost a dear friend. While I mourn the loss of one of Africa’s most distinguished leaders, Madiba’s legacy beckons us to follow his example to strive for human rights, reconciliation and justice for all.”   Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Chair of The Elders, said:   “God was so good to us in South Africa by giving us Nelson Mandela to be our President at a crucial moment in our history. He inspired us to walk the path of forgiveness and reconciliation and so South Africa did not go up in flames. Thank you God, for this wonderful gift who became a moral colossus, a global icon of forgiveness and reconciliation. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”   Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland, said:   “The most impressive man of my generation has passed away. No one has influenced my life more than President Nelson Mandela. Anyone supporting the just struggle for democratic change in Southern Africa cannot have been untouched by President Mandela’s life.   “When I first met President Mandela, I was deeply impressed. He was a man who had been in prison for 27 years, but after his release did not want to waste his life by feeling bitter about his captors, however justified that would have been.   “Instead he used his enormous influence to build a new South Africa for all her citizens. He taught us what responsible leadership means. His presence was always uplifting. We owe it to him that we will try to follow his example. Today I join the millions who miss him and extend my deepest condolences to his wife and family.”   Ela Bhatt, founder of India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), said:   “The world has lost a great leader. Madiba showed the people of the world that great nations are built with moral courage and collective strength, with justice and equal opportunity, with truth and reconciliation, with love and forgiveness, with vision and wisdom. He was indeed the Gandhi of South Africa. His spirit lives on in the people of South Africa and in the hearts of all who loved him.   “His face is difficult to forget, so kind and so caring. It was his message of Ubuntu that drew me to him and to the Elders. We can do no better than honour his memory by bringing the spirit of Ubuntu to every corner of the world.   Lakhdar Brahimi, former Foreign Minister of Algeria, said:   “Men and women everywhere feel they have lost someone very close to them, a man they loved deeply and respected and admired profoundly. It was such a privilege to have known him, to have listened to him a number of times, to have participated, however modestly, in his gigantic achievement: the end of apartheid and the restoration of lasting peace and reconciliation in South Africa.”   Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway, Deputy Chair of The Elders, said:   “Six years after his release from prison, I had the great honour as Norway"s Prime Minister, to be the first foreign guest to visit Robben Island with Nelson Mandela and see the tiny cell in which he spent 18 of his 27 years in jail. It was an incredibly moving and unforgettable experience. He embodied the greatness of human dignity and restraint under terrible pressure.   “These personal, unforgettable moments with Madiba fill my heart with joy and gratitude on this very sad and deeply emotional day. No one else in our lifetime has made such a lasting mark on our minds and attitudes, all across the world, as Nelson Mandela.”   Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil, said:   “The whole world laments the loss of Nelson Mandela. For us Brazilians and for me personally, his action went beyond the struggle for a free South Africa. It illustrated the struggle to liberate human beings from the shackles both of racism and of revenge.   “On the memory of the beholder – be it a person or a multitude – behind each of his actions loomed the story of a fighter who did not shy away from the challenges of the armed struggle, of a lawyer standing with the humiliated and the offended, of the prisoner who joined his comrades in the hard work of breaking stones, of the political leader that, prior to liberation, refused to compromise but once free called for reconciliation without lies.   “Mandela’s greatness comes from his capacity to show his people and all of us the value of truthfulness, fraternity and the on-going struggle for equality, all this enhanced by his overwhelming simplicity.   “Let us grieve his passing away; let us safeguard his legacy.”   Jimmy Carter, former US President, said:   “I am deeply saddened by the death of Nelson Mandela. The people of South Africa and human rights advocates around the world have lost a great leader. His passion for freedom and justice created new hope for generations of oppressed people worldwide, and because of him, South Africa is today one of the world’s leading democracies.   “I was gratified to be able to work with him through The Elders to encourage resolution of conflicts and advance social justice and human rights in many nations.”   Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, said:   “Nelson Mandela was a much loved citizen of the world. His death leaves us bereft – it is felt by all of us as a personal loss. I want to extend my love and deepest condolences to all his family and especially his wife, our fellow Elder, Graça Machel.   “There are so many ways that we will remember Nelson Mandela. His determination and courage in fighting for justice for his people, his moral authority, not least in his forgiveness of his former guards, and his valuing of diversity in all aspects of the new South Africa. From all who ever had contact with him, he commanded enormous respect. “In old age he became frailer, but his familiar voice was as strong as ever when he wanted to emphasise an issue of injustice, or remind us to listen to those on the margins, and those who suffer.   “It was an honour, and also very humbling, to be invited by Mandela to join The Elders. We will strive to uphold the values of justice, of listening, and of mutual respect for others that he embodied.”   Nelson Mandela and The Elders   Nelson Mandela founded The Elders in Johannesburg on his 89th birthday, 18 July 2007, with the help of Graça Machel and Desmond Tutu, he brought together ten ‘Elders’ – independent, progressive leaders committed to peace, justice and human rights – to work together on global problems including peace-building and reconciliation in war-affected regions, sustainable development and equality for girls and women. After founding The Elders, Nelson Mandela did not play an active role, but he remained an Honorary Elder and the inspiration for The Elders’ work.   http://theelders.org/article/elders-honour-memory-their-founder-nelson-mandela   December 2013   Nelson Mandela embodied what he proclaimed, by Desmond Tutu.   Never before in history was one human being so universally acknowledged in his lifetime as the embodiment of magnanimity and reconciliation as Nelson Mandela was. He set aside the bitterness of enduring 27 years in apartheid prisons - and the weight of centuries of colonial division, subjugation and repression - to personify the spirit and practice of ubuntu, or human kindness. He perfectly understood that people are dependent on other people in order for individuals and society to prosper.   That was his dream for South Africa and the hope that he represented the world over. If it was possible in South Africa, it was possible in Ireland, it was possible in Bosnia and Rwanda, in Colombia, it is possible in Israel and Palestine.   Of course, in the spirit of ubuntu, Madiba was quick to point out that he alone could not take credit for the many accolades that came his way and that he was surrounded by people of integrity who were brighter and more youthful than himself.   That is only partially true. The truth is that the 27 years Madiba, as he was known, spent in the belly of the apartheid beast deepened his compassion and capacity to empathise with others. On top of the lessons about leadership and culture to which he was exposed growing up, and his developing a voice for young people in anti-apartheid politics, prison seemed to add an understanding of the human condition.   Like a most precious diamond formed deep beneath the surface of the Earth, the Madiba who emerged from prison in January 1990 was virtually flawless. Instead of calling for his pound of flesh, he proclaimed the message of forgiveness and reconciliation, inspiring others by his example to extraordinary acts of nobility of spirit.   He embodied what he proclaimed - he walked the talk. He invited his former jailer to attend his presidential inauguration as a VIP guest, and he invited the man who led the state"s case against him at the Rivonia Trial, calling for the imposition of the death penalty, to lunch at his presidential office. He visited the widow of the high priest of apartheid, Betsy Verwoerd, in the white Afrikaner-only enclave of Orania.   He had a unique flair for spectacular, hugely symbolic acts of human greatness that would be gauche if carried out by most others. Who will forget the electrifying moment in the 1995 rugby World Cup final when he stepped out on the Ellis Park pitch with captain Francois Pienaar"s No. 6 on the Springbok jersey he was wearing? It was a gesture that did more for nation building and reconciliation than any number of preacher"s sermons or politician"s speeches.   Although always a team man, Madiba was also sufficiently comfortable in his own skin, in his own ability to determine right from wrong, that he displayed few of the insecurities associated with many politicians.   He had the moral and ethical courage, during and after his presidency, to do and say things that were not always in accordance with the official policy of his beloved African National Congress.   When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) published its findings, some of which the ANC strongly opposed, Madiba had the grace to publicly accept the report.   Another example was the establishment of South Africa"s first rural AIDS treatment site, by his foundation, at a time when the government was dithering and obfuscating in response to the pandemic.   When one of the TRC commissioners was accused in an amnesty hearing of being involved in the case before the commission, Mandela appointed a judicial commission to investigate. Later, the president"s secretary called me to get the contact details of the commissioner. I realised that the president wanted to put him at ease, but I told the secretary that as the chairman of the commission I should know the findings of the judicial commission first. Within minutes the president himself was on the line saying, "Yes, Mpilo, you"re quite right. I"m sorry."   Politicians find it almost impossible to apologise. Only truly great individuals apologise easily; they are not insecure.   Can you imagine what would have happened to South Africa had Mandela emerged from prison in 1990 bristling with resentment at the gross miscarriage of justice that had occurred in the Rivonia Trial? Can you imagine where South Africa would be today had he been consumed by a lust for revenge, to want to pay back for all the humiliations and all the agony that he and his people had suffered at the hands of their white oppressors?   Instead, the world was amazed, indeed awed, by the unexpectedly peaceful transition of 1994, followed not by an orgy of revenge and retribution but by the wonder of forgiveness and reconciliation epitomised in the TRC.   It came as no surprise that his name towered above those of any others when the BBC conducted a poll to determine who should head a world government to guide the affairs of our conflict-ridden global village. A colossus of unimpeachable moral character and integrity, he was the world"s most admired and most revered public figure.   People warmed to him because they knew, they felt in their bones, that he cared genuinely. He was consumed by this passion to serve because he believed that a leader exists for the sake of the led, not for self-aggrandisement or self-promotion.   People sense this; you cannot fool them. That was why workers at the Mercedes-Benz plant in the Eastern Cape presented him with a special car they had made in appreciation. That was why, when he went to Britain on his farewell state visit, the police had to protect him from the crowds that might have crushed him out of love. Usually, heads of state are protected to ensure their safety from those who may be hostile.   His passion to serve drove him to continue his long walk so prodigally, even after retiring. Thus, he campaigned vigorously for those affected by HIV and AIDS, even as the government that succeeded his appeared to falter in the face of the epidemic; and he continued to raise funds for children and other projects - all for others, and not for himself.   Did he have weaknesses? Of course he did. His chief weakness was his steadfast loyalty to his organisation and to his colleagues. He retained in his cabinet underperforming, frankly incompetent ministers who should have been dismissed. This tolerance of mediocrity arguably laid the seeds for greater levels of mediocrity and corruptibility that were to come.   He inspired others powerfully and revealed in his character, transparently, many of God"s attributes of goodness: compassion, concern for others, desire for peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.   Thank God for this remarkable gift to South Africa and the world.   * Desmond Tutu is archbishop emeritus of Cape Town. He won the Nobel peace prize in 1984. Visit the related web page
	Espionage in East Timor - ASIO"s economic espionage by ABC Lateline, Eureka Street, agencies Australia, East Timor   Nov. 2015   East Timor''s most senior leaders have accused Australia of committing a crime and acting immorally after a spying scandal that rocked the relationship between the two countries.   The ABC program Lateline has revealed new details about the bugging of an East Timor cabinet office during negotiations over an oil and gas treaty worth an estimated $40 billion.   In a diplomatic bungling of the highest order, after the scandal came to light in 2012, the Gillard government sent a representative to Dili to deal with the fallout. But former East Timorese president Xanana Gusmao told Lateline that person had been directly involved in the operation, causing further offence to East Timor.   Lateline was also told there was concern in senior Australian intelligence circles that the operation was a misuse of intelligence resources.   East Timor''s prime minister Rui Maria de Araujo called it a moral crime.   "Having that as an advantage for you to negotiate something that is a matter of death and life for a small country, I think it''s - at least morally - it''s a crime," he said.   Mr Gusmao said he considered it a criminal act. "Australia would not allow it. Under the Security Act it will be a criminal act? No? For us we believe it should be considered like this," he said.   It all began in 2004, when under the guise of an aid project to help renovate the Palace of Government in Dili, spies from Australia''s foreign intelligence service ASIS snuck in and installed listening devices.   They were targeting East Timor''s prime minister at the time, Mari Alkatiri, and his negotiating team, who were in talks with the Australian government over a treaty dealing with oil and gas deposits in the Timor Sea.   The Greater Sunrise oil and gas field in the Timor Sea is worth an estimated $40 billion and the treaty would map out how it was divided between East Timor and Australia.   East Timor is one of the poorest nations in the region; 50 per cent of children under five are malnourished and only half the homes have electricity.   Australia is East Timor''s richest neighbour and the bugging operation gave the government the upper hand in the multi-billion-dollar talks.   Mr Alkatiri has described it as a crime. "I have no doubt about this, even in terms of international law it''s a crime," he said.   When the operation came to light in 2012, Mr Gusmao, who was then prime minister, sent a letter to his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard, seeking an explanation. Her response shocked him.   Lateline understands that Ms Gillard denied the substance of the complaint and sent a representative to meet Mr Gusmao, but that person had played a key role in the undercover operation.   "I was, what? Sending me the person that I know was participating in this? Well!" Mr Gusmao said.   Lateline understands the representative''s role in the operation included delivering transcripts of the bugged conversations from the embassy in Dili straight into the hands of Australia''s negotiating team.   Bernard Collaery was East Timor''s legal adviser at the time and said it was almost comical if it had not been such a tragic affront to the young nation.   "It deeply aggrieved Prime Minister Gusmao," he said. "His reaction was he was grieving over the knowledge that someone he thought he trusted had been involved.   "Then to have Prime Minister Gillard send that very person to Timor as it were to discuss the matter to try and resolve it as Prime Minister Gillard put in her letter was very, very worrying.   "It meant that the Prime Minister of a modern democracy on Timor Leste''s doorstep did not know what her intelligence service was doing."   Appalled by how the Gillard government had handled the matter, in 2013 East Timor notified Australia that it was taking the case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.   The East Timorese had an ace up their sleeves. Mr Collaery happened to have as a client the agent who ran the bugging operation in 2004. He became known as Witness K. Witness K is a former senior ASIS officer.   Witness K and other senior ASIS officers were concerned intelligence resources had been misused in the bugging of the East Timorese government.   Mr Collaery said ASIS operatives were angered when they were given directions to spy on impoverished East Timor.   "When you have such dedicated veterans involved who might see the relative priorities of following up on the Bali bombing, the Marriot Hotel issues, and find themselves taken off duties to bug this poverty stricken state''s cabinet room so a trade deal can get over the line, if you were part of that, staff might wonder about priorities," he said.   Mr Collaery said it was also a moral issue for Witness K. "It was a squalid operation and indeed I recall in my instructions mention being made of [East Timor''s] infant mortality rate," he said. "So this was a morally based grievance."   In 2013, Witness K was all set to give evidence in the Permanent Court of Arbitration when ASIO raided his home and seized his passport. To this day he is unable to leave the country.   In East Timor, anger has only grown over Australia''s refusal to acknowledge the bugging operation.   Mr Gusmao also accused former prime minister Tony Abbott of shrugging off the scandal when they met in China last year.   "I was with [former East Timor prime minister] Mr Mari Alkatiri in Boao in a conference in China and we met the former prime minister Tony Abbott," he said. "Mr Mari said to him ''look I''m very, very sad knowing that you spy on us, on our meetings and conversations''.   "And you know what Mr Tony Abbott said? ''Don''t worry my friend, the Chinese are listening to us."   East Timor is now recommencing its action against Australia in the Permanent Court of Arbitration.   http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2015/s4359816.htm http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2015/s4359818.htm   December 2013   The revelations that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) raided the offices of Timor Leste"s lawyers and detained its star witness just before its case against Australia (alleging that it bugged Timor"s cabinet office during the negotiations in the run-up to the signing of the Treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (CMATS) deal over division of oil reserves) highlights, once again, the question of the linkage between national and commercial interests.   Australian Attorney-General George Brandis will not say why ASIO raided the offices of Bernard Collaery and, indeed, the ASIO offices executing the warrant allegedly refused even to show it to those present in his offices at the time.   Nevertheless, if the raids do relate to the upcoming arbitration, it would be hard to see how they come within the powers of ASIO, the functions of which, by s.17 of the ASIO Act are clearly restricted to security (i.e. threats to borders or from espionage, sabotage, political violence and the like).   In short, ASIO"s governing statute does not permit it to engage in economic espionage. Unfortunately, however, the distinction between government and commercial interests is growing increasingly hard to draw — especially when there are no significant controls on people moving between government and corporate worlds. The Australian foreign minister who signed the deal with Timor which is currently in question, Alexander Downer, is now a lobbyist for Woodside petroleum — the company exploiting the oil reserves which are the subject of the Treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea.. Visit the related web page
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