Mandela Day 18 July Which is Nelson Mandela's birthday is a
celebration and remembrance of Nelson Mandela’s impact on South Africa and the
world. The celebration of this international day recognizes and gives credence
to the former President’s commitment to human rights, conflict resolution and
reconciliation.
It is also an annual celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life
and a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to
make an imprint and change the world around them. A global movement for
positive change begins with small actions. As each person acts, they fuel
momentum toward positive change, raising awareness and expanding the reach of
Mr Mandela’s values – fighting injustice, helping people in need and practicing
reconciliation.
The tradition of celebrating a day in his name was started
in South Africa during Nelson Mandela's lifetime to mobilize the South Africans
to fight poverty and work together across the cultures and races.
The day was declared an international day by the United
Nations in 2009 to celebrate peace and freedom Nelson Mandela fought so hard
for.
Brief History of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was the former president of South Africa and
Nobel Peace Prize winner. He is often called the 'father of South Africa' and
is lovingly named 'madiba' or 'tata' (father). He was the opposition leader
during the Apartheid, which was the time of racial division of the black people
in South Africa. The black people in South Africa were kept separate from the
white people and were neither allowed to live or travel where they wanted or to
vote.
In 1964, Mandela was sentenced by the white Apartheid regime
to life in prison for sabotage. He was only released in 1990! In 1991 he won
the Nobel Peace Prize together with then-President FW de Klerk who was pushing
for the changes and the end of the Apartheid rules.
In 1994 the first democratic (free) elections were held and
Mandela was voted as president of South Africa. He remained president until
1999 and sadly passed away in 2013 at the age of 95 years. Mandela day is all
about changing the world for the better, just as Nelson Mandela did every day’.
The aim is to work 67 minutes for Mandela: to support the needy and the poor in
your community. The call is on you to change something in your community for 67
minutes just as Mandela did for 67 years.
The inspiration is about making every day Mandela day by
making changes for the good in your city or community and helping those in
need. To inspire the people, many events are held on the day all over the world
to create awareness for the good causes.
Over the past decade, Mandela Day has enjoyed global support
and solidarity as an opportunity to practice commitment to uplifting the
dignity of others and as a day to commemorate the lifetime of service Nelson
Mandela gave to South Africa and the world. Mandela Day has moved away from an
ad hoc, individualized, reactive approach and moved towards a sustainable,
long-term, collaborative methodology to address issues affecting our society.
This message encourages everyone to be active citizens and
agents of what they want to see. As a champion of change, Mandela was
instrumental in reconciliation and ensuring that Africans come together to
defeat all challenges - like apartheid, poverty and wars, among others. This
theme encourages us to take responsibility to change attitudes and to ensure a
peaceful co-existence in communities.
Also, July is known as Social Cohesion Month which
encourages the rest of the world to become active citizens that work together
to develop a cohesive society. This entails promoting the Constitutional
principles and ideals of non-racialism, non-sexism, justice and equality for
all. It is also an opportunity to do more to build an inclusive society and
economy.
Key messages:
1.
Mandela Day promotes democratic values of
justice and equality:
2.
International Nelson Mandela Day, as declared by
the UN in 2008, aims to showcase his work and to make the world aware of his
humanitarian work.
3.
Celebrating this day is an opportunity to give
to those who do not have through charitable organizations and raise funds to
support their continuing work of ensuring change.
4.
The Mandela Day campaign message encourages
people to use 67 minutes of their time to support a chosen charity or serve in
their local community.
5.
Make every day a Mandela Day:
6.
To encourage the globe to make every day a
Mandela Day, by staying true to his ideals of justice, equality and a
non-racial South Africa.
7.
All South Africans have a responsibility to
promote freedom and defend our democracy in honour of Madiba’s life-long
commitment to these ideals.
8.
His legacy lives on in our commitment to ensure
a just and fair society for all, including the rights to dignity and freedom of
expression.
9.
Government remains determined to ensure that all
South Africans, without exception enjoy all the rights enshrined in our
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
10.
Nelson Mandela promoted South Africa’s
leadership role in the Africa Agenda:
11.
Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1993 for his efforts to finding a peaceful resolution to the country’s
deep-rooted conflicts stemming from colonialism.
12.
Mandela Day is dynamic instrument that promotes
Pan Africanism and unity in diversity.
13.
Under his leadership South Africa ceased to be
the pariah of the world. Instead, it regained its rightful place on the
continent and became part of the family of nations whilst also emphasizing that
Africa is at the centre of South Africa’s foreign policy.
14.
Nelson Mandela recognized South Africa as an
integral part of the African continent and understood its national interest as
being intrinsically linked to Africa’s stability, unity and prosperity, hence
the need to embrace each as Africans.
15.
After his release, he recognized Africa’s
assistance during the struggle and thanked them for their hospitality and
support as they opened their doors and became home for many South Africans who
had fled the persecution of the apartheid government.
16.
We walk the Mandela talk:
17.
Nelson Mandela has been one of the great moral
and political leaders of our time: an international hero who embarked on a
lifelong dedication to the fight against injustice and racial oppression.
18.
Honour the memory of our icon by making this the
best Nelson Mandela Day by using it to foster social cohesion, nation building,
economic development and inclusive citizenship
19.
It is a global call to action for people
everywhere to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place by
giving our time supporting a charity or serving local communities.
20.
There is no other way to honour the late former
President than being dedicated to the service of our fellow human beings and by
actively helping to change their circumstances.
21.
Let us build a society that is home to all:
22.
We must do more to break down the artificial
barriers of culture, race or religion that still divide us.
23.
This generation must continue to work towards a
society free from racial, social, economic and class barriers.
24.
We must strengthen the common ties that bind us
rather than focus on that which divides us.
25.
Government will not rest until all South
Africans enjoy the fruits of our liberation and our democracy.
26.
Together we can ensure greater daily interaction
on an equal basis which will build social cohesion and common understanding.
This statements and strategies primarily encourage
collaborative partnerships to support initiatives in the areas of education and
literacy, food and nutrition, sanitation, shelter as well as active
citizenship. This approach will see sharpened focus on early childhood
development as a key investment area to make a significant dent in the scourge
of poverty.
Finally on this day, people around the world celebrate
Mandela Day. This day was called for to celebrate Nelson Mandela's life and the
human quest for peace and harmony. This day is also referred to by the #UnitedNations
as 'Nelson Mandela International Day. The heart of Mandela Day is service to
others and the creation of a better world for everyone. Get out there and find
the injustices in your neighborhood, city, or state and do everything you can
to help alleviate them. Do not think that such grand gestures as those made by
Mandela are necessary, it takes every small effort of everyone working together
to create a world that’s fair and just for everyone. #HappyMandelaDay #TakeAction #InspireChange.
#NelsonMandelaInternationalDay #Mandela100
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