Johannesburg - A programme aimed at transforming young people to emulate the distinctive thinking of former President Nelson Mandela was launched in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The Champion Within youth programme will be focusing on the mindset of Madiba and assisting the future generation in finding their own champion mentality as they study the world icon's political life, the way he tutored, coached and mentored others, and his dynamic mentality.
The programme will also be used as a platform to reach and impact the lives of one million youth by 2020.
The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and Life College Association have joined forces to develop the exclusive content of this programme.
Life College boss Pat Pillai said they will get young people involved in the programme through partnering with registered youth organisations, government and institutions of higher learning.
Pillai said developing the programme and its support network it will cost them about R5.6 million.
"The risk is that the mindset of the nation's youth is up for grabs currently. The next developmental challenge is certainly not easy, but it must include programmes to positively affect the self-awareness, character, critical thinking and mentality of our youth so that a principle-centred paradigm shift is achieved personally and collectively," he said.
Through the Champion Within programme, Pillai said young people across the nation will realise that real change occurs within them first.
Verne Harris of the Centre of Memory said the programme is based on the book "Conversations with Myself by Nelson Mandela and on his extensive personal archive."
The programme is currently being researched and co-developed and will be ready for roll-out by February 2012.
"We are calling for more partners. Work at tertiary level will be done in close collaboration with the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, which is a highly successful advanced leadership programme for university level students," said Harris.
Nelson Mandela Foundation boss, Achmat Dangor, said: "The vision of the programme is to harness the lifework of Nelson Mandela and his generation of leaders to build a nation of champions."
According to Dangor, the one million youth to be reached will also be inspired to make every day a Mandela Day.
"We will do so by partnering with and offering the programme to schools, universities, companies, civil society and government youth programmes," he said, adding that an online network will link the Champion Within students across the nation.
Youth representative, Xolile Ndlovu, a third year student at the Wits School of Education said: "I believe that upon completion of my teaching degree, I will be able to teach students values and principles of life so they can also be able to contribute positively in their respective communities."
Another youth representative, Beejal Govan, 22, a qualified pilot, said through the new programme, youth can make an enormous impact both in the country and the world.
Twenty-two year-old Jemaine Swartz said: "Since challenges will never go away in our lifetime as young people, the new programme will help the majority of us to be strong, to think and do things like Madiba did."
Vice chairperson and executive director of the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, Joel Netshitenzhe, said: "The Champion Within provides a unique opportunity to build networks that have the potential to awaken the giant in each of our young people and stir the genius that lies suppressed by self-doubt for each to realise that in their individual uniqueness, lies the potential to take forward Mandela's endeavors, so we can assert our humanity and forge a spirit of social solidarity," he said.
