How are the successes and failures of the fledgling South African democracy relevant to all democratic nations? Why a nation cannot truly thrive without full socio-economic equity. Why true freedom must also include freedom from an imprisoned mind. What is the importance of teaching a full, robust history of a nation? Mamphela Ramphele, M.D., Ph.D. is an activist, medical doctor, academic, businesswoman, and global servant. Besides her medical degree, she holds a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology. She was the managing director of the World Bank, and is a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, as well as chairwoman of the Bishop Desmond Tutu Trust. She also serves as co-president of the Club of Rome, which was founded in 1968 as a nonprofit, informal organization of intellectuals and business leaders whose goal is to identify holistic solutions to complex global issues, and to promote policy initiatives and actions to enable humanity to emerge from multiple planetary emergencies. 

She is the author of A Passion for Freedom (I.B. Tauris 2014), Conversations with My Sons and Daughters (Penguin 2013) and Dreams, Betrayal and Hope (Penguin Books 2017)

Interview Date: 5/20/2022   Tags: Mamphela Ramphele, South Africa, apartheid, colonial conquest, Steve Biko, oppression, South African political settlement, Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, competition, interconnectedness, collaboration, conversation, ubuntu, apartheid cities, Alexei Navalny, History, Social Change/Politics, Education, Philosophy