About
To ensure that Olof Palme's legacy of peace continues, OPPI was launched at Midrand High School in South Africa on 20 October 2017 by His Excellency Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, Patron of the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation and former President of South Africa, under the name "Olof Palme Youth Education Initiative." OPPI promotes Olof Palme's legacy of peace through educational initiatives, awareness campaigns and research aimed at creating greater understanding and positive change within communities. It is important to know that peace is an essential component of Africa's development.
Throughout his time as Swedish Prime Minister, Olof Palme embodied Sweden's strong anti-colonial and anti-apartheid stance. In this respect, he became a driving force in the process of formulating Sweden's policy on international solidarity, through which all spheres of Swedish society were mobilised to support the liberation movements in Southern Africa, in particular the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa in the struggle against apartheid. This policy enabled Sweden to become the first Western country to support the struggle against apartheid. We should remember that Olof Palme's last international speech against apartheid took place at the Swedish People's Parliament on 21 February 1986, 7 days before his assassination.
Olof Palme was a true guardian of the Ubuntu philosophy: "I am my brother's keeper! I am my sister's keeper! He believed that his humanity meant living for others, the oppressed, who lived or are still living in unspeakable man-made circumstances. He was a servant-leader and global icon of peace whose assassination deprived the world of a champion of international solidarity. The people were at the centre of Olof Palme's vision of life, "People First." He believed that he was nothing without the people he loved so much.
"The People First philosophy" led him to sacrifice his life for others, the people of the world of different origins. He was committed to a just struggle to restore to the people of the world their human dignity and respect for their right to exist in their countries based on the principles of the rule of law, human rights, respect, equality and justice.
Olof Palme was a true campaigner for peace, and he feared nothing, not even death in his path, that might disturb him in achieving the goal for which he was born. He was an educator and an inspiration of all time.
It should be noted that the name "Olof Palme Youth Education Initiative" has evolved over time to become "Olof Palme Education Programme" and now "Olof Palme Peace Institute", as it was felt important to include the word "peace" in the name of the organisation to show how deeply the concept of peace was embedded in Olof Palme's life.
