In this special report Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon goes to South Africa with the New Narratives team to report on the role of commemoration in the post-apartheid era. It’s 30 years since South Africa ended the government led racial segregation system that terrorized and discriminated against the country’s non-white populations.

Though many feared the end of apartheid and the election of the first black majority president, Nelson Mandela, would result in civil war, three decades on the country has remained relatively peaceful, with peaceful transitions of power in a multi-party democracy and Africa’s second largest economy.

Anti-apartheid activists credit that harmony to the efforts made by Mandela and other leaders to seek reconciliation and healing. That was partly done through commemoration – statues, public holidays and museums to remember the anti-apartheid effort and learn the true history.

Reporting for Spoon FM Cyrus asked leading activists what Liberia can learn as it continues to grapple with the aftermath of settler history and 14 years of civil war.

This collaboration with Spoon FM was funded by the Swedish embassy in Liberia. The funder had no say in the story’s content.

This story was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as part of its “Investigating Liberia” project. Funding was provided by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia. The funder had no say in the story’s content.