The year 2025 heralds a significant moment for the blossoming ties between South Africa and Thailand, marking the one-year anniversary of the Mandela Centre at Chulalongkorn University. Alongside, the Bangkok Rules and Mandela Centre will celebrate 15 and 10 years, respectively—a remarkable trio of milestones in the advancement of human rights for all prisoners.
On 21 March 2024, coinciding with Human Rights Day in South Africa, the Mandela Centre was inaugurated in Thailand, symbolising a collaborative effort by the South African Embassy and Chulalongkorn University. This initiative aims to foster peace, avert atrocities, and enhance human security in memory of Nelson Mandela, an emblematic figure promoting a world rid of conflict and discrimination. In a time marked by rising nationalism and racial tensions, both Africa and Southeast Asia face significant challenges that threaten future peace.
This year also signifies 12 years since Mandela’s passing at 95. In commemoration, the Mandela Centre, with Chulalongkorn University and the South African Embassy, is hosting an International Seminar aimed at resolving conflicts and combatting racial discrimination in Southeast Asia. This event will pay homage to the achievements of the UN Durban Conference on Racism and reaffirm the states’ duty to protect all human rights.
The UN proclaimed 2001 the Year of Dialogue among Civilisations, reaffirming the need for unity in tackling shared challenges and promoting human rights. During its first anniversary celebrations on March 25, the Mandela Centre will embody these values, vital to Mandela’s vision. Global challenges to human rights necessitate a reflective discourse on their future, grounded in the principles laid out in the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights.
The concurrent celebrations of the Mandela Centre, the Mandela Rules, and the Bangkok Rules signify a historic moment to deepen the relations between South Africa and Thailand, both active voices within BRICS and the Global South. This is an opportunity to recommit to fostering a peaceful Southeast Asia and a thriving Africa, where human rights are universally respected, transcending race, sexual orientation, or nationality. To commemorate, South Africa will collaborate closely with Thailand, with hopes that the UN General Assembly will celebrate the anniversaries of the Mandela and Bangkok Rules in 2025.
Darkey Africa serves as the Ambassador of South Africa to Thailand, while Bhanubhatra Jittiang, PhD, is the founding director of the Nelson Mandela Centre at Chulalongkorn University. The International Seminar will take place on March 24 at Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse.
2025 marks significant anniversaries for South Africa and Thailand, with the Mandela Centre at Chulalongkorn University celebrating its first anniversary and the Bangkok Rules reaching 15 years. An International Seminar will be hosted to discuss conflict resolution and racial discrimination. This moment reinforces the two nations’ commitment to human rights and global unity amidst rising nationalism.
The upcoming anniversaries of the Mandela Centre, Mandela Rules, and Bangkok Rules illustrate a pivotal opportunity for South Africa and Thailand to strengthen bilateral relationships through human rights advocacy. In light of contemporary challenges to these rights, the collaborative efforts emphasise peace, unity, and mutual respect, both in the Global South and globally, reinforcing a collective commitment towards a world where human rights are upheld for all.
Original Source: www.bangkokpost.com
