Last Thursday, April 22, we had one of the most important political leaders of the 20th century as the subject of our latest webinar on history and current affairs.

Like all flesh and blood characters, he can be loved too much or too little.

Mandela made "loving him very much" the choice of the vast majority. Those who knew him personally affirmed that he was a close person, with an enormous and indisputable charisma, commitment and conviction. A leader of those who move and inspire.

Beyond everything he achieved - ending the system of racial segregation that nearly led South Africa to civil war in the early 1990s, becoming the country's first black president, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 - Mandela's great merit was how he achieved it.

Madiba, as he was called, made clever and astute use of every opportunity available to him.

While in prison (in total 27 years) he realized that he had to gain the trust and affection of his opponents in order to get out (he was sentenced to life imprisonment). And he could see that this in practice meant, among other things, learning Afrikaans, the exclusionary language used only by whites.

He also used sport, in a masterful way, to unite blacks and whites, demonstrating to all his compatriots that unity and support for the national rugby team (which won the 1995 Rugby World Cup in epic fashion on penalties against the almost invincible New Zealanders) could also translate into support for a multiracial democracy, where everyone had a place.

His great legacy was to promote ways for the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and to demonstrate that changes are possible and that racial and ideological differences are not an impediment to see an entire country progress.

"Everything seems impossible until it's done," he would say.

Magdalena Guzman L. 

Journalist and Master in Political Science.