Mandela: an Epitome of Equality, Dignity and Peace
Nelson Mandela International Day 2022 / 18
July / Article
Mandela: an Epitome of
Equality, Dignity and Peace
Dr M. D. Thomas
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‘Nelson Mandela International Day’ is being celebrated
on the 18th day of July. It is also called ‘Mandela Day’. It is his
birthday and the celebration is definitely an honour paid to him. The day was officially declared by the United Nations
in November 2009. The first Mandela Day was celebrated officially on 18
July 2010, in New York, while some groups began celebrating it in 2009 itself.
Mandela Day is not a public holiday, but a day to
appreciate the legacy of Nelson Mandela. The day is a global call to action
that celebrates the idea that ‘each individual has the power to transform the world, well, the ability to make an impact’. The UN resolution acknowledges
his contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and to the
promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.
Mandela day is recognition of his values and his
dedication to the service of humanity. The areas of his commitment includes
‘conflict resolution, race relations, promotion and protection of human rights,
reconciliation, gender equality and the rights of children and other vulnerable
groups, the fight against poverty, the promotion of social justice’, etc.
Nelson Mandela was born in a village
called Mvezo in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. He fought
for social
justice for 67 years. Mandela
was jailed for leading the liberation movement against apartheid. He was
referred to in the jail by the inmate number 46664. He was in the jail for 27 years,
paying the prize for freedom and dignity.
Nelson Mandela
was a legend, indeed so. He was the President of South Africa, well, the first democratically elected President of the free South
Africa. Bringing
people together around the world to fight poverty and
promote peace, reconciliation and cultural diversity would be a fitting regard paid to
him.
The first global celebration of Mandela Day was his 91st
birthday. Nelson Mandela Foundation organized on the day a series of
educational, art exhibit, fund-raising and volunteer events leading up to a
concert at Radio City Music
Hall. The UN General Assembly
established Nelson Mandela Prize in 2014, a five-yearly award that recognizes
the achievements of those who dedicated their lives to the service of humanity.
Nelson Mandela was a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience and an international peacemaker. He won over the apartheid regime of South Africa. The Parliament Luminary had revolutionary ideas about freedom, “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”.
The legacy of Nelson Mandela is the monumental achievements that changed the 20th century and shaped the 21st. His tall values, firm determination and deep commitment to human rights, freedom and justice are a perennial source of inspiration for one and all. Mandela advocated for the rightful dignity and equality of every living person and encouraged engagement and solidarity across all borders.
Nelson Mandela was a man of absolute determination and
deep commitment to justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms. He was known
for his profound belief in the equality and dignity of every woman and man. He
engaged with people across all lines and divisions, in view of dialogue and
solidarity.
Mandela was a great statesman, a stern advocate of
equality and the founding father of peace in South Africa. In other words, he
is a powerful symbol of the power of resisting oppression, of justice over
inequality, of dignity over humiliation and of forgiveness over hatred. He was
a great humanist as well.
Nelson Mandela was a Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO. He
was the 1991 Laureate of the UNESCO Peace Prize, as well. Empowering all women
and men with equal rights and dignity, along with promoting dialogue and
solidarity for justice and lasting peace, was the mission of UNESCO. In fact,
the legacy of Mandela matched that of UNESCO.
In his legendary speech delivered at the Rivonia Trial
in South Africa in 1964, Nelson Mandela said “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”.
Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, on the
occasion of Nelson Mandela International Day, stated “His 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 human beings, regardless of gender, nationality
or race. This is also the very ideal for which Nelson Mandela was jailed for 27
years. Despite his imprisonment, Nelson Mandela continued to believe in these
ideals, and upon his release, continued to put them into practice’’.
Besides, in honour of the 27 years Nelson Mandela spent
in the prison, the UN General Assembly revised and adopted United Nations
Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and declared it ‘Nelson
Mandela Rules’.
Well friends, being born in to this world has a
specific purpose. It is for making a difference in the families, communities,
nations and the society. Changing the world for the better is the
responsibility of everyone. Everyone has the ability to make change possible,
too. The whole world, India in
special, has much to learn from Nelson Mandela, definitely so. Mandela day is a
fitting occasion for taking inspiration and facilitating change, yes, change
for making a more inclusive and harmonious society.
On the occasion of ‘Nelson Mandela International
Day 2022’, inspiration requires being taken from the great world luminary
Nelson Mandela, in view of committing ourselves to equality, dignity, freedom
and peace and thus contribute to making the world a better place to live in,
for one and all.
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The author is Director, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, and has been committed to cross-cultural perspectives, cross-scriptural values, constitutional values, interfaith relations, communal harmony, national integration and social wellbeing, for the past over 40 years. He contributes to the above cause through lectures, articles, video messages, conferences, social interactions, views at TV channels, and the like.
He
could be viewed, listened to and
contacted at the following portals – websites ‘www.mdthomas.in’ (p), ‘https://mdthomas.academia.edu’ (p), ‘https://drmdthomas.blogspot.com’(p) and ‘www.ihpsindia.org’
(o); social media ‘https://www.youtube.com/InstituteofHarmonyandPeaceStudies’ (o),
‘https://twitter.com/mdthomas53’ (p), ‘https://www.facebook.com/mdthomas53’ (p);
email ‘mdthomas53@gmail.com’
(p) and telephone 9810535378 (p).
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