Interview with Prof. Gracelyn Smallwood – Nelson Mandella
Interview with Prof. Gracelyn Smallwood – Nelson Mandella a humble freedom fighter / Torres News By MARK BOUSEN.
The late Madiba Nelson Mandela was a humble freedom fighter who promoted truth, justice and reconciliation with violence, a prominent world, human rights figure has said.
Professor Gracelyn Smallwood, who last month received a United Nations Award for her 45 years of work and service for national and international health and human rights, told the Torres News at the Australian South Sea Islanders (ASSI) forum at Tweed Heads on the weekend.
Professor Smallwood, who lives in Townsville, met Mr Mandela in 1997 when she and Dr Chris Sarra were VIP guests of the South African President for the 20th anniversary of the death in custody of the late Steve Biko. “We were among the millions and we were waving the Aboriginal and Torres Islander flags near Mr Mandela. “The flags were spotted by Mr Mandela’s good friend Kwame Ture, the former Black Panther who was previously known as Stokely Carmichael, who was seated next to Mr Mandela. “Mr Mandela sent one of his guards who was carrying a machine gun and with a dog to invite us to sit in a vacant chair next to him. “As there was only one seat, Dr Sarra and I decided to take a rain check and would meet the President at a small function that night.”
Professor Smallwood, who has family in the Torres Strait, recounts that President Manela was accompanied by journalist Donald Woods, who promoted and assisted with the movie Cry Freedom, the movie based on Biko’s live and death. “Mr Mandela made a humble statement about obtaining reconciliation with the truth. But in Australia, we’re trying to have reconciliation without the truth. “President Mandela also played a prominent role in the mediation with (Libyan leader) Colonel Gaddafi over the Pan Am incident (also known as the Lockerbie bombing).
“In a sense, my father, Archie Smallwood, did in Australia what President Mandela did in South Africa about human rights.” The day following the celebrations in South Africa and Professor Smallwood and Dr Sarra travelled to Libya via Malta to attend a human rights conference where Professor Smallwood talked about how the land rights fought for and won by the late Eddie Koiki Mabo were being watered down in Australia. “This created a massive breakdown and disharmony in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.”
Professor Smallwood said there will be harmony only when reconciliation is achieved with truth. “Reparation and reconciliation needs to be made to the First Families, Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islanders/South Sea Islanders as this country has, in the last 230 years, become one of the wealthiest countries in the world on the back of black slavery.”
Professor Smallwood is a registered nurse and midwife, prominent figure in Indigenous Mental health and holds a Master of Science Degree in Public Health, as well as a PhD in First Nations Australian health and human rights. “The United Nations Award is a real honour as I have retired, but it also reflects on my parents, particularly my father who was from the Juru Birrigubba homeland (in the Bundaberg district) and was sent to the infamous Palm Island at a young age under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protection Act,” she said.