Cedar Rapids group honoring Mandela with celebration this Saturday

It has been just over a year since Nelson Mandela died, and one Cedar Rapids organization wants to keep his legacy alive.

Wake Up for Your Rights, a locally based non-profit that works for peace and justice, is holding an event Saturday to commemorate the South African leader.

'I think we should use his story to encourage each other, and we can use him as a reference of someone who used his life to make a difference in the lives of others,” Wake Up for Your Rights president Esaie Toingar said.

The group largely is made up of immigrants from Africa - Toingar originally is from Chad. He said he hopes the event also will be a chance for immigrants from different communities to socialize with each other and with the wider Cedar Rapids community.

He said it also will serve as a holiday celebration for the group.

Mandela was a figure whom the whole world looked to, he said, and he hopes that brings in a diverse array of people.

'This is a way to develop relationships and help each other. It's a chance to come together,” he said. 'Mandela is seen as someone who can bring people from different backgrounds and cultures together.”

The event will feature African food from different countries, cooked by members of the organization. There also will be music and other entertainment including a performance of a fable by children, speeches and a panel discussion.

The panel discussion will invite participants to talk about Mandela's legacy and how people can apply his lessons to their lives here in Iowa. They will discuss human rights, education, and social justice.

'I think by organizing a commemoration, it's a way to remind people, yes, he is no longer alive, but we can use his work to continue his dream and inspire others to fight for the basic rights of others,” Toingar said.

The event is being organized and funded by volunteers from Wake Up for Your Rights and other members of the African community in Eastern Iowa. The event is free, with donations welcome.

IF YOU GO

l WHAT:

Reviving Mandela's Legacy

l WHERE:

Jane Boyd Community House, 943 14th Ave. SE

l WHEN:

6 to 11 p.m. Saturday

l COST:

Free; donations accepted