The sacrifice our former president Nelson Mandela made, to bring us to the new dispensation of democracy, is something that all South Africans should celebrate. Forgetting our heros and heroines would be a grave atrophy and atrocity to the memory of those who sacrificed and paid the ultimate price for the FREEDOM of all South Africans, Mandela once said "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die"

I would encourage the youth to be as principled and as brave as he is by participating in youth upliftment programs and engaging in African Renaissance issues,so that they don't leave the legacy behind of ubuntu and togetherness.

Your message to the youth is quite powerful. Simply put, you seem to be saying to your fellow generation: 'Your history and African identity are crucial'. You are right to indicate that former President N.R. Mandela is the embodiment of the struggle for freedom and humanity in South Africa and the rest of the world. Freedom Park was essentially conceived and constructed to provide space for celebration of inclusive freedom and humanity brought about by the likes of Madiba.

I like your call for the youth to remind themselves of their history and let it guide their path. However, it is important that programmes be put in place for this to happen.

If we abandon our youth, and ourselves for that matter, to the culture of TV soap operas only, 'people' magazines and Hollywood starism, then let better not make those wishful calls; for mere wish they will remain forever.

The question is which programmes do we put in place to expose the youth to that heritage. How does a wonderful platform like Freedom Park organise or push schools into organising pupils'visits to the park and being told the history of South Africa, Africa and the world from the mouth of a passionate guide that leave those pupils with powerful memories for live? We should see the picture of inspired Chinese pupils in Tiamamen Square!

How is history passionately taught to kids at schools not from unispiring teachers but those who have the passion to teach it. How to get the curriculum represents a comprehensive African history from the beginning of humanity in the Omo Valley near the Great lake region of East/central Africa to the peopling of Europe by first Africans 'immigrants', to the great black Ancient Egyptian Kingdom, Great Zimbabwe, Mali, Songhai, Ghana etc to the genocides of slavery and colonialism and apartheid and the independance and democracy, post-democracy eras?

So the question is not just to wish for a goal but to wish for, and if possible personally do, the specific actions that can make that lofty goal happen. Only then do we stop being in the mere dream world and a little nearer to making one's dream a reality.

May Freedom Park leave to that expectation of being a place that initiate meaningful actions.