Freedom Park, Tshwane, South Africa

Driven by the necessity for the people of South Africa and the world to understand and appreciate the country’'s struggle for liberation, Freedom Park was created as a national and international icon of humanity and freedom. It is a reflection of the struggle for peace, justice and dignity throughout the history of the region.

Freedom Park, with its Garden of Remembrance, is located on a 52-hectare site on Salvokop Hill in Tshwane (Pretoria).

The uphill climbs and winding roads serve a very symbolic purpose at Freedom Park as a testimony to the arduous road that South Africans had to travel to reach their destination of a respected humanity and freedom. Throughout the park there are places of quiet, of reflection - reminding all who come of the incredible sacrifice people have made throughout the years in the struggle for freedom from oppression.

The Wall of Names currently bears 80,000 names of those who have died in the struggle for freedom in South Africa - including  local & global conflicts as well as the struggle against apartheid. The wall has space for 136,000 names to be inscribed. The Wall of Names is not constructed as a 'fait accompli' and allows future generations to add the names of their deserving heroes and heroines.

As one wanders between the walls of names it is hard to imagine the sacrifice, the struggle, the fear and hope represented by those identified. Many yearned for a better life so passionately they were willing to die for it - and did! Others simply had the choice taken away from them by those with power willing to do violence. More often than not the innocent and the vulnerable suffered at the hands of those who already had the bulk of the wealth and power and wished to have it all, even at the expense of those already deprived.

A hall of heroes begins to name and identify some of those who modeled alternate ways of thinking and provided the stimulus for change. These are the heroes and heroines of our time - people otherwise often unremembered and unforgotten.

The eternal flame - a solemn reminder of our hope for peace, justice and dignity for all people!