Open letter to President Obama: We need a Statue of Responsibility on Robben Island please.

Open letter to President Obama:
We need a Statue of Responsibility on Robben Island  please.

Dear president Obama,

Let me cut to the chase: You are visiting Robben Island today – a place of enormous symbolism. I want to make a bold request. Please consider a symbolic gift to us in the form of a statue:   Yes, a big statue to be erected on Robben Island, to be called the Statue of Responsibility .  We all know that the statue of Liberty was a gift of the French nation to the American people. We all know that the powerful presence of  lady Liberty in New York (on Liberty Island), is an inspiration to many. Wouldn’t it be great if you can return the compliment and give a symbolic Statue of Responsibility  to  the people of South Africa, Africa and the World, as a gift from the American people, to be erected on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.  

Why a statue of Responsibility? We all know that freedom & responsibility (should) go hand in hand like a fish & water. Where things go wrong is where people fight for freedom but forget to act responsibly once they attained freedom.

As USA President, carrying great responsibility, you will know  that freedom is a double sided coin.  It is best illustrated by the fact that in Hebrew there are two words for freedom: ‘hofshi’ and ‘hor’: One denotes negative freedom: “Free FROM …”  oppression, imprisonment, slavery, colonialism, etc. But that is just the starting point. The other word denotes positive freedom: “Free TO ….”  … to serve, to make a positive difference and helping others. Nelson Mandela, whose prison cell you are visiting today, was the perfect example of a leader who embraced both of these meanings of the word ‘freedom’.

All the problems in the world derive from businesses not taking up their responsibilities contributing to climate change and polluting the environment, irresponsible politicians (unlike Mandela) using their position for personal gain, fathers making babies but not taking up their role as fathers neglecting their children. Teenagers, screaming for freedom, can mess up their lives if they don’t have a sense of responsibility.  The list is endless. 

I have a confession: As students of a men’s residence we incurred the wrath of your American Embassy in Pretoria on this topic. It was rag time (charity fund-raising festival) and we toyed with the idea (and even published it) to depict the statue of liberty as a pregnant lady on one of the carnival floats. Your Embassy took offence, and despite our assurances that it was none of us who impregnated her (!?) – they wrote a letter of protest to our University principal, who  came down real hard on us prohibiting us to build a carnival float with a pregnant Statue of Liberty. We wanted to make a point similar to the following:   

Lady Liberty thought, since she symbolizes freedom, that she also must have the freedom to explore a bit and even change her dress and have a bit of fun. So she did:

But one dark and stormy night she neglected her duty to carry the flame of liberty and left her post to play with the sailors in the harbour. She threw all responsibility overboard, and thought nobody would find out – but after a while her slip was showing ….

You look like a man who can appreciate a bit of humor President Obama, but our current reality in SA is no joke. We have leaders who have to be seriously reminded that they must not abuse the freedom they got, after fighting for it so long. Some of them are blatantly using their positions of power for personal gain.

A statue of responsibility will be a soft but strong way to remind all  leaders and citizens of the world to fight for freedom, but use it responsibly. 

Your call earlier on your tour to African leaders, and the African youth was to take responsibility and hold our leaders accountable. Please consider to cement this call now with this symbolic gift. 

You are probably aware that the idea of a Statue of Responsibility was first proposed by the Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, author of  the best-selling book, "Man's Search for Meaning",  In his book  he describes how he created meaning from his prison experience  as a  surviving Nazi prisoner at both Auschwitz and Dachau. "Freedom is not the last word," Frankl wrote. "Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. The positive aspect of freedom is responsibleness. That is why I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast."

In the late 1980s dr Frankl spoke  at the University of Pretoria, and  he then  suggested that the Statue must be erected on the other side of the Atlantic ocean in South Africa.

I also know that before his death in 1997 dr Frankl with some American friends including the late  Stephen R. Covey, started the  Statue of Responsibility Foundation and that they already commissioned the Springville sculptor Gary Price to design a monument that captured Frankl's vision. Their idea is to erect it in Utah on the west coast, but the project probably needs government input to be more than a private initiative. There is even a group in South Africa saying it must be in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape in Nelson Mandela Bay.   

My request to you Mr president is: Can’t you take control of this project and get the inspired people to talk to each other and even give consideration to the fact that the best symbolic venue for such a statue would be Robben Island. I am sure it can be a beautiful part of your legacy

Why Robben Island?  Because Robben Island is our Liberty Island – a symbol of hope to the World. It does not only symbolise Freedom ( Nkululeko) - it also symbolises the fact the two leaders, Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk took responsibility: They used their freedom responsibly to create a future for us all. You will visit Madiba’s cell of 18 years today, but I hope they also share with you the fact that  the decision by the Apartheid government to break free from the old parading and release Mandela, was also taken on the island – in the historic Guest House on the Island where they will probably offer you tea on your visit.

In the late 90’s and we started a “Short Walk to Freedom” project where we took leaders on a 4-step paradigm shift workshop on Robben Island: Captivity, Liberation, Responsibility and Leadership. Part of these workshops was to design models for a Statue of Responsibility to be erected on Robben Island. Robben Island can be the best place for the Statue of Responsibility, because on this island Madiba  had the longest part of his  long walk to freedom. Unfortunately he had a short time for leadership.  Since all of us are to some extent  prisoners without knowing (of the past, personal pain, paradigms , prejudice, etc) we must do our own short walk to freedom.  If we shorten our walk to freedom, we will have a longer time for responsible leadership. 

A Statue of Responsibility can be an international symbol to rally energy for responsible leadership.

I hope this can be part of your legacy, mr. President!

Kind regards

Gustav

Dr Gustav Gous,  MD: Short Walk Seminars (Pty) Ltd  www.gustavgous.co.za