Dr. Makaziwe
Mandela Celebrates
International
Nelson Mandela
Day at JU
What’s the significance of teaching
a farmer in a remote region of
Africa how to grow a better potato?
For Dr. Makaziwe Mandela —
global humanitarian, successful
businesswoman, and daughter of the
late South African President Nelson
Mandela — it’s an effective tool that
can help break the cycle of poverty for
millions of people and build better,
self-sustaining global communities.
On July 18, 2019 — the 101st
anniversary of the birth of the
world-renowned South African
leader and the day that is now
officially known as Nelson Mandela
International Day — Dr. Mandela
shared personal experiences from
a challenging childhood, thoughts
on leadership, and a vision for
continuing her father’s legacy, as she
accepted the Jacksonville University
2019 Presidential Global Citizen
Award in Terry Concert Hall.
“The idea that Dr. Mandela would
come here … and bring us all
together so that we can think about
economics and poverty, food security
and education — and the link
between those — is an extraordinary
opportunity,” said Jacksonville
University President Tim Cost ’81 as
he introduced Dr. Mandela.
Dr. Mary Gipson
Professor of Nursing in the Keigwin
School of Nursing
E XC E L L E N C E
AWA R D F O R
UNIVERSITY
S E RVIC E AN D
PROFESSOR OF
THE YEAR
“Inequities between rich and poor
are increasing,” said Dr. Mandela,
who co-founded House of Mandela
Family Foundation, an organization
that continues Nelson Mandela’s
work towards unity and compassion
across global races, religions, and
genders. “If you want social justice
in our societies, in our communities,
in our countries, we have to deal
with the issues of how we address
the inequities in society.”
Dr. Mandela works closely with
Khalil Osiris — author, social
activist and founder of the non-
profit Reflecting Freedom — who
helped organize Mandela’s visit to
Jacksonville and who advocates
for transformational change in
others through lessons learned in
his own life.
Osiris, who shared his own
story with the audience in Terry
Concert Hall, spent 20 years
in prison for armed robbery.
During incarceration, he turned
his life around, emerging with
a deep understanding of what
he calls “self-imposed prison.”
Dr. Jorge Majfud
Associate Professor of Spanish,
Latin American Literature and
International Studies
E XC E L L E N C E
AWA R D F O R
SCHOLARSHIP &
PROFESSIONAL
AC T I V I T I E S
He challenged the audience to
consider the power of personal
reflection and the freedom that
comes from owning one’s choices
— good or bad.
“Ask yourself: what is it that
you’ve put limits on your life,”
Osiris said. “What is it that has
diminished your genius, your
efficacy, your agency to make
change in the world? What is it
that has held you back from being
your best self?”
The Presidential Global Citizen
Award is presented to an
extraordinary leader whose impact
is felt well beyond the bounds of
their recognized responsibilities.
This unique individual fully
embodies the University's ideal
of fostering globally engaged
citizens, bringing to bear their
exceptional talents to create new
opportunities to lead, live, and
learn. Previous award recipients
are former PepsiCo Chairwoman,
President and CEO Indra Nooyi
and legendary filmmaker and
historian Ken Burns.
Dr. Sarah Parker
Associate Professor of English
E XC E L L E N C E
AWA R D F O R
T E AC H I N G
NEWS
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