Accidental Opportunities

Bridglal (Bridge) Pachai, a life long advocate of social justice, was born in a thatched roof cottage in Umbulwana, South Africa. His journey has taken him from South Africa to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Along the way he has taught history at universities in South Africa, Malawi, The Gambia and Halifax. He has also served as director of the Black Cultural Centre in Nova Scotia and as director of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.In the words of Tom McInnis, his senior when Bridge was director of the Human Rights Commission, he could "dance with the lords and be with the paupers." "Bridge does not divine a purpose in the accidental opportunities he has encountered. Rather he accepts the mystery of their almost haphazardness and stresses the importance of seizing the opportunities that the opening doors present. Certainly his ideals and convictions shine through like a beacon and firmly hold him on his journey. But there is also an anchor of pragmatism and this probably accounts for the successes of his remarkable career." - J. Colin Dodds, President, Saint Mary's University (from the Preface)