On Wednesday, April 23, Maryville University will present “Nelson Mandela’s Legacy of Reconciliation: Lessons for Leading an Inclusive Community” at the Edward Jones Auditorium, located at Manchester Road and I-270. The public is invited to attend the free event featuring panelists Linda Biehl, Ntobeko Peni, and Manfred Jacobs. Biehl is a highly sought after speaker. For the past 15 years, she has worked side by side with Peni through the Amy Biehl Foundation Trust based in Cape Town, South Africa. Peni is one of four men convicted in her daughter’s death, and served five years in prison before being granted amnesty through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
“Any place she has spoken people say, ‘I don’t know if I can ever be that forgiving,’” Larry Kendall said of Biehl.
Kendall and his wife, Judy, helped organize the event that will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by a reception at 8:00 p.m., and the couple has maintained a long-standing relationship with Biehl and Peni. Kendall said it’s a story that many people will find hard to believe.
Biehl established the foundation with her late husband, Peter, after their daughter was killed during an anti-apartheid mob attack in the Guguletu Township near Cape Town. Amy was a 26-year-old Stanford University graduate, Fulbright scholar, and anti-apartheid activist committed to making a difference in South Africa. Peni is a valued friend of Linda, and the pair now works in tandem promoting non-violence, reconciliation, and restorative justice. Jacobs is a senior correctional officer at Drakenstein Correctional Services, formerly Victor Verster Prison where Nelson Mandela was freed after serving a 27 year sentence. Jacobs will share personal stories of Mandela, and said he is filled with a feeling of gratification.
“People today still believe in the message of hope, still hunger for the good in life, and still appreciate the unselfish efforts that ‘Madiba’ made in order to create a better life for all,” Jacobs said.
Contact Chris Hollenbeck at chollenbeck@maryville.edu or 314.529.6854 to R.S.V.P.
Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil
