Cry of Freedom in 'Beloved Country' Resonates Well
I recently returned from a week in South Africa, having spent two
days in Pretoria leading a workshop on research ethics and three
days lecturing at the University of Cape Town. If you had asked
me ten years ago whether I thought this would be the first African
country I'd visit, I surely would have said "no" - given
my opposition to the country's apartheid policies.
Much has changed since then. Nelson Mandela was released from Robben
Island, the public has democratically elected two presidents, and
the country has been readmitted to the world's community of nations.
While I believe it presumptuous to draw conclusions about a country
on the basis of so brief a visit, several experiences gave me much
to contemplate about the "new" South Africa.
The Pretoria workshop attracted participants from fifteen African
countries. Held at the University of Pretoria, plenary sessions
on informed consent, genetics, and research ethics review could
easily have passed for conference sessions in Indianapolis, London
or Paris. We met in rooms that only a few years ago prohibited black
students. Now the university is being integrated with policies that
give preferential hiring to black professors.
A senior resident at a rehabilitation hospital in Cape Town reported
that the company responsible for placing physicians still has a
'policy' of preferentially hiring only whites, even though the South
African Constitution and labor laws prohibit such practices.
I tried to visit Robben Island (now a major tourist destination
five miles off the coast of Cape Town) but rough seas made the trip
impossible. Instead, I visited the District Six Museum, the first
post-apartheid museum in South Africa that honors the diverse community
that was literally demolished as part of the Group Areas Act. I
learned from the curator that while Robben Island receives nearly
$3 million in government support, this museum relies on public donations
and a grant from the Swedish government.
One evening I attended a performance of "Nothing But the Truth,"
a play written by and starring John Kani, who has appeared in numerous
productions including Athol Fugard's "Master Harry and the
Boys." At one point a young woman considers whether she should
stay at home with her father or visit London. "I have so many
choices," she says. "I'm not sure what to do." Her
father replies, "That's the problem with freedom." The
audience, a multi-colored tapestry of faces, erupted with knowing
approval. Making freedom work in the new South Africa is an ongoing
effort.
Eric M. Meslin, PhD, is director of the Indiana University Center
for Bioethics and professor of medicine, of medical and molecular
genetics, and of philosophy. He is also assistant dean for bioethics
at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
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