Mandela at 85: 'Artists helped to keep hope of freedom alive'

All of the peoples of the world are united behind the idea that culture - indeed, what we do to validate our common humanity through our creative expressions in the arts - is at the core of the good and beautiful life. Culture, that all-encompassing endeavour that brings people in direct contact with their unseen souls and allows them to vent the creative expression of the mind, keeps us alive and well even when the body is abused and tormented.

Nelson Mandela, perhaps more than any other living person, has stood as a world cultural icon for more than five decades. He nobly endured the harsh punishment of imprisonment on Robben Island in the dark days of apartheid. He refused to let down his guard and abandon his own cultural aspirations to return to his beloved people and chant the songs of freedom with those who awaited his release.

His hopes for his own personal freedom and that of his people were deeply grounded in his religious faith and in the solidarity of international cultural communities from around the globe. Indeed, the arts strengthened his own creative will to survive imprisonment. It is for this reason that we look upon Nelson Mandela as an icon of culture in the nascent years of the rebuilding of cultural bridges between all of the races and peoples of South Africa.

No one seems better qualified to lead the South African movement to cultural diversity and soulful regeneration than Mandela. He has boldly noted that the creative, performing and visual arts are the most notable vehicles through which constructive cultural engagement can take place.

The rich tradition of artistry in South Africa, dating from the days of beautiful prehistoric rock paintings in the Kalahari Desert, is testimony to the longevity of the arts and the role they have played in the lives of the peoples in this part of the world over the ages.

Mandela has reminded his people that it was the arts that helped to articulate the sufferings of his people that were heard around the globe. Wellwishers from many nations responded to the laments of the oppressed peoples of South Africa and offered their help. Today, Nelson Mandela rightfully praises the many artists and patrons of the arts who worked tirelessly, year after year, to keep hope alive, often against the odds, that freedom for all of the peoples of South Africa was imminent. Mandela kept the faith and was victorious.

What is certain to me upon reading his speeches on culture is that here is a man who stands as a watchman, towering over his nation, a man whose gift of wisdom and human understanding is uncommon in our time. My visit to South Africa in 1997 allowed me the chance to meet President Nelson Mandela, the man whose passionate spirit for freedom and justice in the world overshadowed all of the expectations I had for any one human being. I am richer for having stood in his presence.

Bill Cosby is a US comedian, actor, author and patron of a host of charitable, social-service and civil-rights initiatives