At 90 years old, Nelson Mandela remains one the world's most revered moral authorities. He is a man who has dedicated his life to fighting for racial equality, democracy and peace, and to this day he is still actively involved in a variety of social and human rights movements. In his lifetime, Nelson Mandela has achieved many great things, despite being faced with multiple hurdles. In his youth, Mandela was engaged in much resistance against the ruling National Party's policies of racial segregation and white dominance in South Africa. Together with key colleagues Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela fought to overcome a brutal regime. He spent much of his time in hiding from the government, as the African National Congress (the political party for which he stood) were banned by the National Party. In 1963, he was arrested and imprisoned. Throughout his imprisonment pressure mounted on an international level for the South African government to set him free. He was often promised freedom if he agreed to give up his cause, but he repeatedly refused, remaining loyal and passionate in his fight for equality and democracy. A massive 27 years later, Nelson Mandela was finally released on February 11th 1990. He declared his commitment to peace and reconciliation with South Africa and in 1994, he became the first African National Congress President of South Africa to be elected in fully representative democratic elections. Today, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, one of Nelson Mandela's primary commitments is the fight against HIV and AIDS. He lends continual support to 46664 (the charity named after his prison number) and has spoken out against HIV/AIDS at a variety of public events. Using his much celebrated and respected voice, Mandela has pushed for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, and has reminded us that those living with and affected by HIV AIDS should be treated as equals. Read more about Nelson Mandela here: http://www.nelsonmandela.org/ |
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