24th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture: H.E President Juan Manuel Santos calls for courage in the face of injustice

Johannesburg, 9 November 2026 - On Friday, 6 November 2026, the Nelson Mandela Foundation hosted the 24th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in partnership with One Young World at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. An appreciative audience of over two thousand people came to hear 2016 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Chair of the Elders, and former President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, speak to the theme "When is Silence Complicity?"

The Annual Lecture is the Foundation's flagship platform for thought leadership. As the Chief Executive, Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi, said in his welcome speech, "in a world and in a moment of history when simply 'making sense of things' is a challenge, thought leadership becomes of critical importance." He went on to argue that the Lecture "has established itself as a premier space for advancing advocacy on critical social issues, exploring sustainable solutions and shaping the public agenda."

The Lecture formed a concluding highlight of the One Young World Cape Town 2026 Summit, which brought together emerging young leaders from 190 countries around the world. Mrs Graça Machel had given the Summit's opening address on the Monday, and on Friday she returned to the stage as she joined President Santos and another Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus, alongside youth leader Dimpho Lekgeu, in a panel discussion moderated by Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh after Santos's Lecture.

President Santos opened his Lecture with a reflection on his 1996 meeting with then President Nelson Mandela in South Africa. At the time, Santos was in the country to hand over the chairmanship of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development from Colombia to South Africa. They discussed the similarities between the two countries of the Global South and traced the parallels in their nations' journeys. This encounter set Santos on a path which would see him play a leading role in bringing a decades-long civil war in Colombia to an end in 2016.

The work of post-conflict restitution and reconstruction in Colombia, President Santos then went on to argue, is far from complete. There is much unfinished business undermining the country's capacity to thrive. Here Santos paused to address the Lecture theme directly: "Not every silence is born out of fear. And many times, silence itself demands a lot of courage. Silence can create the space in which we truly listen. And listening constructively, learning from the other, was something Madiba always encouraged. Sometimes, words spoken too soon, or in anger, only make situations more difficult and they may close doors that should remain open." "But today in Colombia," he concluded, "this is not a moment for silence."

Broadening his focus to global challenges confronting humanity, President Santos came to the same conclusion: "We must not remain silent in this world as war is once again normalized as an instrument of statecraft; as international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter are openly disregarded; institutions like the International Criminal Court are directly attacked and intimidated; and as civilians pay the price while atrocities go unchecked and diplomacy retreats. The international order created to limit aggression and protect civilians is being eroded not only by those who violate its principles, but also by those who refuse to defend them, by those who choose to remain silent."

He ended the Lecture with a rousing call to younger generations. Echoing Madiba's famous 2008 "it is in your hands" challenge, President Santos urged young people to "stand for what is right, even when it is difficult. Take the initiative. Be bold. Protect our common planetary home. And never accept the idea that war, injustice or division are inevitable." The response was thunderous applause as he stepped away from the lectern.

Access the 24th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture

Read President Juan Manuel Santos's full written speech:

https://www.nelsonmandela.org/news/entry/from-south-africa-to-colombia-the-moral-weight-of-silence-24th-nelson-mandela-annual-lecture

Watch the full Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/live/c...

View the official photograph gallery: https://tutum.pixieset.com/nelsonmandelafoundationlecture/

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