Today, Friday 18 July, marks Mandela Day. Mandela Day honours the life of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the great revolutionary leader, freedom fighter, political prisoner,and peacemaker and is celebrated every year on 18 July, Nelson Mandela’s birthday – he would have been 107 today. The first UN Mandela Day was held on 18 July 2010.
The day is held as a global call to action that celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world, and the ability to make an impact and encourages individuals to take action for social justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
A global call to action, emphasising that everyone has the power to change the world in a positive way. Mandela Day honours Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of public service and inspires people to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to help other people. This encourages community service and volunteering, reflecting Mandela’s commitment to social justice, equality and human rights.
What can you do with your 67 minutes? Show support for this day by sharing posts on social media using the hashtags #MandelaDay and #ActionAgainstPoverty.
Volunteer with a community organisation such as your local food bank or soup kitchen to have a positive impact. Support a charity – through donations and giving your time or expertise.
Mandela’s mission as an anti-apartheid revolutionary was establishing equality and freedom for all women, men and children. He stood for the fundamental rights of all humans, irrespective of race, nationality or gender. There is no equal future without freedom for everybody.
“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” –
Nelson Mandela, is one of the modern makers of South Africa whose legacy is still remembered as one of the greatest contributions to humankind and an inspiration to all those fighting for liberty across the globe.
Affectionately often referred to by his Xhosa clan name, Madiba, Nelson Mandela is remembered with deep respect within South Africa, where he is often described as the Father of the Nation. His 27 long years in prison for opposing apartheid and his presidency of the first multiracial government in South Africa, after free elections in 1994, are the striking and exceptional chapters of his long life.
Nelson Mandela was born into a royal family of Xhosa-speaking Thembu tribe in the South African village of Mvezo in the district of Qunu near Umtata, Transkei (now known as Eastern Cape).
Nelson studied hard at school and later attended the University of Fort Hare, the South African Native College. He then moved to the city of Johannesburg to study law at the University of the Witwatersrand, before qualifying as a lawyer in 1942, aged 24.
South Africa is home to many different peoples and cultures – so much so that it’s been nicknamed the ‘rainbow nation’. But, sadly, at the time that Nelson Mandela was growing up, there was a huge racial divide in the country. White people ran the country, and they generally led privileged lives with good jobs, nice homes and access to good schools and healthcare. Most black people, however, worked in low-paid jobs, and lived in poor communities with poor facilities. They had far fewer rights, too – they weren’t even allowed to vote in elections! Like many others, Nelson Mandela felt that everyone deserved to be treated the same, regardless of their skin colour. So, in 1944, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) – a political group that strived for equal rights for whites and blacks.
Nelson Mandela became an important figure in the ANC, and he helped set up and lead a section for young people called the ANC Youth League. He later travelled the country to gain support for non-violent protests against the National Party’s racist laws, too. This activism made him very unpopular with the authorities, and Nelson was arrested for treason – the crime of betraying your country’s government – several times.
In 1948 the South African government introduced a system called ‘apartheid’, which furthered the country’s racial divide even more. Under new racist laws, black people and white people were cruelly forced to lead separate lives. They weren’t allowed to live in the same areas, share a table in a restaurant, attend the same schools or even sit together on a train or bus! Apartheid had a fearsome state apparatus to punish those who fought against it. Racist laws were created to enforce a racially separate and unequal social order. The Reservation of Separate Amenities Act, for instance, imposed segregation on all public facilities, including post offices, beaches, stadiums, parks, toilets, and cemeteries, and buses and trains as well.
The Defiance Campaign in 1952 was the first large-scale, multi-racial political mobilization against apartheid laws under a common leadership – by the African National Congress, South African Indian Congress, and the Coloured People’s Congress. More than 8,000 trained volunteers went to jail for 'defying unjust laws.’ Volunteers were jailed for failing to carry passes, violating curfew, and entering locations and public facilities designated for one race only.
In early 1953, the Government imposed stiff penalties for protesting against discriminatory laws, including heavy fines and prison sentences of up to five years. It then enacted the Public Safety Act, allowing for the declaration of a State of Emergency to override existing laws and oversight by courts. Although the Defiance Campaign did not achieve its goals, it demonstrated large-scale and growing opposition to apartheid. Furthermore, the use of non-violent civil disobedience was part of an important international tradition, from the passive resistance campaigns started by Gandhi in South Africa continuing to the independence movement in India two decades before, to sit-ins and other non-violent protests in the United States civil rights movement .Mandela was arrested in 1956 on treason charges, but was acquitted.
The ANC was banned by the government in 1960, following the Sharpeville massacre.After the banning of the ANC , Nelson Mandela argued for the setting up of a military wing within the ANC. In June 1961, the ANC executive considered his proposal on the use of violent tactics and agreed that those members who wished to involve themselves in Mandela's campaign would not be stopped from doing so by the ANC. This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe., the armed wing of the ANC, ( abbreviated as MK, meaning "Spear of the Nation" ) believing that non-violent measures would not be successful, and was named its leader. Beginning on Dec. 16, 1961, with Mandela as its commander in chief, they launched bombing attacks on government targets and made plans for guerilla warfare.
Mandela was forced underground adopting a number of disguises—sometimes a labourer, other times as a chauffeur. The press dubbed him ‘the Black Pimpernel’ because of his ability to evade police.”
Mandela was subsequently arrested on Aug. 5, 1962, and sentenced to five years in prison for inciting a workers’ strike in 1961. A year later, in July 1963, the government launched a raid on the Lilliesleaf farm in Rivonia, which had been used as an ANC hideout. It arrested 19 ANC leaders and discovered documents describing MK’s plans for attacks and guerilla warfare.
The government charged 11 ANC leaders, including Mandela, with crimes under the 1962 Sabotage Act. At the Rivonia Trial, Mandela chose not to take the witness stand, instead making a long statement from the dock on April 20, 1964. In it, he explained the history and motives on the ANC and MK, admitting to many of the charges against him and defending his use of violence.
He concluded, “ "I do not deny that I planned sabotage. I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation and oppression of my people by the whites. During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Mandela was found guilty on four charges of sabotage on June 11.His co-accused included: Walter Sisulu, Dennis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Elias Mosoaledi, Andrew Mlangeni - all ANC officials and Ahmed Kathrada, the former leader of the South African Indian Congress. Lawyer for the defendants, Harold Hansen QC said: "These accused represent the struggle of their people for equal rights. Their views represent the struggle of the African people for the attainment of equal rights for all races in this country."
The following day, he and seven of his co-defendents were sentenced to life imprisonment avoiding the death sentence. Mandela and the other six non-white defendants were sent to the prison on Robben Island, a former leper colony located off the coast of Cape Town. Nelson Mandela and his comrades were effectively jailed for leading the liberation movement against apartheid , a system of white rule which they considered evil, and for their stance on the human right to live in freedom and end oppression to black South Africans.
On the notorious Robben Island, Mandela lived in a tiny cell, received meager rations and performed hard labor in a lime quarry. Mandela’s prisoner number was 46664, the prisoners were never referred to by their names, but rather by their numbers .In South Africa at the time It was forbidden to quote him or publish his photo, yet he and other jailed members of his banned African National Congress were able to smuggle out messages of guidance to the anti-apartheid movement.
Meanwhile outside thousands died in the decades-long struggle against apartheid, which deprived the black majority of the vote, the right to choose where to live and other basic freedoms.
Yet Robben Island would became the crucible which transformed him,through his intelligence, charm and dignified defiance, Mandela eventually bent even the most brutal prison officials to his will, assumed leadership over his jailed comrades and became the master of his own prison. He would be come a symbol of hope.defiance and resistance not only in South Africa but across the world .
Mandela was subsequently arrested on Aug. 5, 1962, and sentenced to five years in prison for inciting a workers’ strike in 1961. A year later, in July 1963, the government launched a raid on the Lilliesleaf farm in Rivonia, which had been used as an ANC hideout. It arrested 19 ANC leaders and discovered documents describing MK’s plans for attacks and guerilla warfare.
The government charged 11 ANC leaders, including Mandela, with crimes under the 1962 Sabotage Act. At the Rivonia Trial, Mandela chose not to take the witness stand, instead making a long statement from the dock on April 20, 1964. In it, he explained the history and motives on the ANC and MK, admitting to many of the charges against him and defending his use of violence.
He concluded, “ "I do not deny that I planned sabotage. I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation and oppression of my people by the whites. During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Mandela was found guilty on four charges of sabotage on June 11.His co-accused included: Walter Sisulu, Dennis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Elias Mosoaledi, Andrew Mlangeni - all ANC officials and Ahmed Kathrada, the former leader of the South African Indian Congress. Lawyer for the defendants, Harold Hansen QC said: "These accused represent the struggle of their people for equal rights. Their views represent the struggle of the African people for the attainment of equal rights for all races in this country."
The following day, he and seven of his co-defendents were sentenced to life imprisonment avoiding the death sentence. Mandela and the other six non-white defendants were sent to the prison on Robben Island, a former leper colony located off the coast of Cape Town. Nelson Mandela and his comrades were effectively jailed for leading the liberation movement against apartheid , a system of white rule which they considered evil, and for their stance on the human right to live in freedom and end oppression to black South Africans.
On the notorious Robben Island, Mandela lived in a tiny cell, received meager rations and performed hard labor in a lime quarry. Mandela’s prisoner number was 46664, the prisoners were never referred to by their names, but rather by their numbers .In South Africa at the time It was forbidden to quote him or publish his photo, yet he and other jailed members of his banned African National Congress were able to smuggle out messages of guidance to the anti-apartheid movement.
Meanwhile outside thousands died in the decades-long struggle against apartheid, which deprived the black majority of the vote, the right to choose where to live and other basic freedoms.
Yet Robben Island would became the crucible which transformed him,through his intelligence, charm and dignified defiance, Mandela eventually bent even the most brutal prison officials to his will, assumed leadership over his jailed comrades and became the master of his own prison. He would be come a symbol of hope.defiance and resistance not only in South Africa but across the world .
In the 1980s, exiled ANC leader Oliver Tambo, Mandela’s former law partner, led an international movement to free Mandela. Many countries imposed sanctions on South Africa for its apartheid policies. Conservative Prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who Mandela thankfully outlived, denounced Mandela’s ANC as a “typical terrorist organization”.
David Cameron a later Conservative leader and PM himself accepted an all expenses paid trip to South Africa while Nelson Mandela was still in prison while he was a researcher for the Conservative Research Department , which was funded by an firm that lobbied against the imposition of sanctions against the regime. I remember to when I was at college Conservative party members, who would proudly flaunt there ' Hang Nelson Mandela' badges. When the Tory's were displaying which side of human rights they were on, the former labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn was at the time a prominent anti apartheid activist ,a staunch opponent of the Apartheid regime and who was out on the streets marching and prepared to get arrested for the end of apartheid in South Africa and calling for the release of Nelson Mandela.
I along with many others at the time joined the anti apartheid movement, pressuring our Governments for his release, and for the end of apartheid, calling for sanctions against what for many of us saw at the time was a fascist state. The apartheid government, was denounced globally for its campaign of beatings, assassinations and other violent attacks on opponents and its oppressive treatment of its people. United Nations resolutions began to call for the release of "Nelson Mandela and all other political prisoners." By the mid-1980s South Africa was becoming increasingly isolated, with the UN supporting sporting and cultural sanctions and many western companies spurred to withdraw from the country by the efforts of anti-apartheid campaigners.
In 1980 a new campaign for Mandela’s release was initiated inside South Africa by the Sunday Post newspaper. In the 1980s Mandela received an avalanche of honours from all over the world, especially in Britain. In 1981 Glasgow City Council was the first of nine British local authorities to make Mandela a freeman of their city. Streets, gardens and buildings were named in Mandela’s honour. Over 20,000 mayors from cities on every continent signed a declaration calling for his release. And how can I forget the seminal song "Free Nelson Mandela" which was released in 1984 by the Coventry band the Special AKA, which became a focal rallying call.
Free Nelson Mandela - Special AKA
In 1985, President PW Botha offered to release him, who had been moved to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town, on the condition that he renounced violence. Mandela defiantly refused, saying, “Prisoners cannot enter into contracts. Only free men can negotiate.”
The Anti Apartheid Movement launched the ‘Nelson Mandela: Freedom at 70’ campaign at a concert in Wembley Stadium in 1988. Rock stars played to a capacity audience and the concert was broadcast by the BBC to over 60 countries.
Though not entirely without controversy.In Britain, members of the ruling Conservative Party proposed a motion in parliament criticising the BBC for carrying an event that “gave publicity to a movement that encourages the African National Congress in its terrorist activities”. Next day 25 freedom marchers set off from Glasgow for London, where they arrived on the eve of Mandela’s birthday. A quarter of a million people gathered in Hyde Park to hear Bishop Desmond Tutu call for Mandela’s release. On 18 July a special service was held in St James’s Piccadilly and thousands of cards were delivered to South Africa House. On Feb. 12, 1990, Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison.
He was named president of the ANC. In April he came to London, where he was welcomed at a second Wembley concert. He thanked the people of Britain and said the support he had received from the Anti-Apartheid Movement was ‘a source of real inspiration’.
Mandela had become an icon of the freedom struggle. His release unleashed a wave of support for the ANC and heralded the beginning of the negotiations which led to a free and democratic South Africa. and in 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The following year, the ANC emerged victorious in South Africa’s first democratic elections with universal suffrage. Mandela was named the first President of post apartheid South Africa.
He used his position to stand with other oppressed people speaking out on behalf of the Palestinian people expressing his support for a two state solution, while being adamant that Israel must leave the West Bank, Gaza and Syria’s Golan Heights.
David Cameron a later Conservative leader and PM himself accepted an all expenses paid trip to South Africa while Nelson Mandela was still in prison while he was a researcher for the Conservative Research Department , which was funded by an firm that lobbied against the imposition of sanctions against the regime. I remember to when I was at college Conservative party members, who would proudly flaunt there ' Hang Nelson Mandela' badges. When the Tory's were displaying which side of human rights they were on, the former labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn was at the time a prominent anti apartheid activist ,a staunch opponent of the Apartheid regime and who was out on the streets marching and prepared to get arrested for the end of apartheid in South Africa and calling for the release of Nelson Mandela.
I along with many others at the time joined the anti apartheid movement, pressuring our Governments for his release, and for the end of apartheid, calling for sanctions against what for many of us saw at the time was a fascist state. The apartheid government, was denounced globally for its campaign of beatings, assassinations and other violent attacks on opponents and its oppressive treatment of its people. United Nations resolutions began to call for the release of "Nelson Mandela and all other political prisoners." By the mid-1980s South Africa was becoming increasingly isolated, with the UN supporting sporting and cultural sanctions and many western companies spurred to withdraw from the country by the efforts of anti-apartheid campaigners.
In 1980 a new campaign for Mandela’s release was initiated inside South Africa by the Sunday Post newspaper. In the 1980s Mandela received an avalanche of honours from all over the world, especially in Britain. In 1981 Glasgow City Council was the first of nine British local authorities to make Mandela a freeman of their city. Streets, gardens and buildings were named in Mandela’s honour. Over 20,000 mayors from cities on every continent signed a declaration calling for his release. And how can I forget the seminal song "Free Nelson Mandela" which was released in 1984 by the Coventry band the Special AKA, which became a focal rallying call.
Free Nelson Mandela - Special AKA
In 1985, President PW Botha offered to release him, who had been moved to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town, on the condition that he renounced violence. Mandela defiantly refused, saying, “Prisoners cannot enter into contracts. Only free men can negotiate.”
The Anti Apartheid Movement launched the ‘Nelson Mandela: Freedom at 70’ campaign at a concert in Wembley Stadium in 1988. Rock stars played to a capacity audience and the concert was broadcast by the BBC to over 60 countries.
Though not entirely without controversy.In Britain, members of the ruling Conservative Party proposed a motion in parliament criticising the BBC for carrying an event that “gave publicity to a movement that encourages the African National Congress in its terrorist activities”. Next day 25 freedom marchers set off from Glasgow for London, where they arrived on the eve of Mandela’s birthday. A quarter of a million people gathered in Hyde Park to hear Bishop Desmond Tutu call for Mandela’s release. On 18 July a special service was held in St James’s Piccadilly and thousands of cards were delivered to South Africa House. On Feb. 12, 1990, Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison.
He was named president of the ANC. In April he came to London, where he was welcomed at a second Wembley concert. He thanked the people of Britain and said the support he had received from the Anti-Apartheid Movement was ‘a source of real inspiration’.
Mandela had become an icon of the freedom struggle. His release unleashed a wave of support for the ANC and heralded the beginning of the negotiations which led to a free and democratic South Africa. and in 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The following year, the ANC emerged victorious in South Africa’s first democratic elections with universal suffrage. Mandela was named the first President of post apartheid South Africa.
He used his position to stand with other oppressed people speaking out on behalf of the Palestinian people expressing his support for a two state solution, while being adamant that Israel must leave the West Bank, Gaza and Syria’s Golan Heights.
Perhaps nowhere is Mandela’s legacy more poignantly felt than in Palestine, where the enduring fight for freedom, land, and dignity mirrors South Africa’s own past. Mandla Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, tribal chief, and ANC Member of Parliament, said that the message of his grandfather was more relevant these days as Israel is operating as a racist state.
“There is institutionalized racism, systematic control of Palestinian life, theft of crops, restrictions on agriculture, and illegal annexations,” he said. “Israel calls itself ‘the only democracy in the Middle East,’ yet denies Palestinians political power and ignores UN resolutions.”
A lifelong advocate for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, Mandla Mandela drew clear parallels between Israeli occupation and South African apartheid, highlighting a system that privileges one ethnic identity at the expense of another.
“Apartheid is a crime against humanity,” he declared. “We, as Africans, understand the pain of colonialism and the brutality of oppressive regimes. We must not rest until we achieve a free Palestine as well.”
His call for global unity echoes Nelson Mandela’s historic words, spoken at the International Solidarity Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People event in Pretoria in 1997, Mandela declaimed: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.. Yes, all of us need to do more in supporting the struggle of the people of Palestine for self-determination.”
In 1999, he toured the Middle East, visiting Palestine. In Gaza he closely identified the South African struggle for freedom and liberation with the Palestinian struggle: “The histories of our two peoples, Palestinian and South African, correspond in such painful and poignant ways, that I intensely feel myself being at home amongst compatriots … The long-standing fraternal bonds between our two liberation movements are now translating into the relations between two governments.” It is worth pointing out that during apartheid era South Africa, Israel regularly traded arms and security information with the regime.
In the last few years, a consensus has emerged among international, Palestinian, and Israeli human rights groups, as well as UN experts, heads of some states, parliamentarians, and diplomats worldwide that Israel is perpetrating the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people.
It is also awful to contemplate but if Nelson Mandela was alive today and was a member of Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, he’d probably be expelled for his views on Israel/Palestine. His antiracism would not conform to what Martin Forde KC identified as Labour’s (racist) hierarchy of racism!
Nelson Mandela also criticised US President George W Bush over Iraq, saying the sole reason for a possible US-led attack would be to gain control of Iraqi oil. The US stance on Iraq is "arrogant" and would cause "a holocaust", he said at the time. He also said UK Prime Minister Tony Blair - who supported Washington over Iraq - was in fact the "US foreign minister", He accused both the US and UK governments of undermining the United Nations. "Why does the United States behave so arrogantly?" Mr Mandela asked. "Their friend Israel has got weapons of mass destruction but because it's their ally they won't ask the United Nations to get rid of them." He also said war "would be devastating not just to Iraq but also to the whole of the Middle East and to other countries of the world". . "They just want the oil," Mr Mandela went on. "We must expose this as much as possible."
Nelson Mandela not only used his voice to protest against injustices at home, but attacked injustices across the world too.
In 2002 Mandela reiterated his opposition to acts of terror, and reminded readers of how appalled he had been by the barbarism of the 9/11 attacks, but argued that those responsible for bringing down the Twin Towers must be “apprehended and brought to trial without inflicting suffering on innocent people”.
Nelson Mandela also criticised US President George W Bush over Iraq, saying the sole reason for a possible US-led attack would be to gain control of Iraqi oil. The US stance on Iraq is "arrogant" and would cause "a holocaust", he said at the time. He also said UK Prime Minister Tony Blair - who supported Washington over Iraq - was in fact the "US foreign minister", He accused both the US and UK governments of undermining the United Nations. "Why does the United States behave so arrogantly?" Mr Mandela asked. "Their friend Israel has got weapons of mass destruction but because it's their ally they won't ask the United Nations to get rid of them." He also said war "would be devastating not just to Iraq but also to the whole of the Middle East and to other countries of the world". . "They just want the oil," Mr Mandela went on. "We must expose this as much as possible."
Nelson Mandela not only used his voice to protest against injustices at home, but attacked injustices across the world too.
In 2002 Mandela reiterated his opposition to acts of terror, and reminded readers of how appalled he had been by the barbarism of the 9/11 attacks, but argued that those responsible for bringing down the Twin Towers must be “apprehended and brought to trial without inflicting suffering on innocent people”.
On December 5, 2013, the world was shocked and saddened by the transition of Tata Madiba Rolihlahla Mandela at the age of 95. Although Madiba had been ill for many months and his condition required round-the-clock medical attention, his passing was nonetheless a great loss to the people of South Africa, the African continent, and indeed to the world.
Mandela was eulogized by people throughout the world. Inside South Africa an extended period of mourning was declared and the former African National Congress (ANC) leader and first president of a non-racial South African state was given a state funeral.
Memorial services were held throughout South Africa. Millions poured into streets and stadiums around the country to sing the praises of their leader who had spent twenty seven years in prison for his believe that the African people should be liberated from national oppression and economic exploitation.
Memorial services were held throughout South Africa. Millions poured into streets and stadiums around the country to sing the praises of their leader who had spent twenty seven years in prison for his believe that the African people should be liberated from national oppression and economic exploitation.
A true revolutionary never dies, for anyone who risks his own life for the oppressed and the poor, will live as long as there are hopeless people in this world. A man who was willing to die for his cause, who spent 27 years in jail for his beliefs and refused to leave until better conditions for his country were met. He made his enemies respect him because of his bravery and loyalty, and didn’t prosecute the same people who abused him when he had the power to do so. Instead, he forgave them.
Though his status was larger than life he lived humbly as a citizen in the country he loved. His example taught us the importance of forgiveness and the true meaning of representing the people with honor and loyalty. He showed us that one person’s actions can have an extraordinary effect on this world, and our world today surely needs more like Mandela!
Nelson Mandela's spirit could never die, and his light will never fade.his name has become synonymous with social justice, bequeathed to everything from housing estates to student unions bars. His sacrifice, courage and philosophy will be an example for anyone who wants to impact the world in a positive way.
Nelson Mandela's spirit could never die, and his light will never fade.his name has become synonymous with social justice, bequeathed to everything from housing estates to student unions bars. His sacrifice, courage and philosophy will be an example for anyone who wants to impact the world in a positive way.
Nelson Mandela Day not only celebrates Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy, but it is also a global call to action for people to recognize their ability to have a positive effect on others around them. It marks Nelson Mandela’s lifelong commitment to social justice, promoting human rights, international democracy, reconciliation, and contribution to peace through his active involvement in resolving conflicts.
This day also encourages individuals and communities worldwide to engage in acts of service and make a positive impact in their societies, fostering a spirit of activism, solidarity, and collective responsibility.
The theme for Nelson Mandela Day for 2025 is: “Uniting to Combat Poverty and Inequity” as launched by the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Individuals, organisations and communities worldwide are asked to stand for justice and make a lasting impact wherever they are.
Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO Dr. Mbongiseni Buthelezi asks the world
“to respond with action, to tackle poverty, fight inequity and build a society grounded in dignity, justice and shared humanity.”
The Nelson Mandela Foundation is a non-profit organisation established in 1999 after Nelson Mandela stepped down as President of South Africa. Its mission is to promote Mandela’s legacy of freedom and equality by convening dialogue, supporting social justice, and tackling the root causes of poverty and inequality in South Africa and beyond.
The Foundation is best known for its work in archives, advocacy, and public dialogue, using Mandela’s life as a lens through which to explore critical social issues. It also leads annual campaigns like Mandela Day, which galvanise action locally and globally in the spirit of Madiba’s enduring ideals. https://www.nelsonmandela.org/
Mandela’s legacy is a call to rekindle our global commitment to peace, justice and human dignity. This year’s theme reminds us that the power to end poverty and inequality is in our hands.
Mandela believed in the power of collective, grassroots action – he knew that ordinary people could change the world and create lasting change, starting from your local community.
Nelson Mandela believed in equality. He opposed racism. He fought injustice. He withstood. He endured. He united. He lived. He lead.
By participating in Nelson Mandela International Day, individuals contribute to a worldwide movement aimed at fostering community spirit and enhancing social cohesion. This day offers everyone an opportunity to make a positive impact, no matter how small, in their local communities.
As we observe Nelson Mandela International Day in 2025, let's envision a world where the values of empathy, compassion, and equality prevail. Through continued efforts and global solidarity, we can strive towards a society that embraces the principles Mandela championed.
Be inspired by Nelson Mandela to build a better world for all! Let us all be guided by Mandela’s commitment to freedom, justice, equality and the rights that belong to everyone on earth. Always believe in equality. Always believe in justice. Always believe in freedom. Always believe in peace.
And as Mandela Day 2025 unfolds across continents and platforms, from bustling city runs to virtual acts of kindness, it reminds us that the struggle for freedom and equity is far from over.
“It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.” – Nelson Mandela
“As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” – Nelson Mandela
“We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.” – Nelson Mandela .
