AASU On Nelson Mandela International Day-July 18
People around the World will observe July 18 due to the fact that the International Community, through the UN General Assembly, declared it in November 2009 "Nelson Mandela International Day" in recognition of the former South African President's contributions to the culture of peace and freedom.
Nelson Mandela- an African from South Africa- has, throughout his life, been an example and a reference for the whole world because of his values and dedication to the service of humanity.
Mandela abhorred injustice and had committed his entire life to the service of humanity. With that posture he had put his life in danger for the liberation of the black majority in South Africa from the shackles of then obnoxious apartheid system in South Africa.
This bravura cost him almost 27 years in jail with hard labour. After his release from jail he had forgiven those who tortured and deprived him of freedom for years and called for reconciliation. Since then he had been at the forefront of the struggle for the respect of human rights and equality among others. The Man Mandela needs to be emulated by all democrats, peace loving, selfless and honest people around the world in particular Africans.
After his demise, the records did show that the Man didn't amass any fortune neither take his people resources as his personal properties. In acknowledging his values and in an effort to symbolically emulate him, people around the world are asked by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to spare 67 minutes of their time to help others on Mandela Day every year. It is expected that by doing that people can make a small gesture of solidarity with humanity and a step towards a global movement for good.
We, in Africa, should be the first people to adhere to Mandela's values and dedication to the service of humanity in order to uplift ourselves from poverty, diseases, corruption and bad governance to mention a few.
As we are marking the Day this year many parts of the African continent, including Mali, Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan, are engulfed in violent conflicts. Also we note with great concern the insurgence of terrorism on the continent. All these stumbling blocks to any meaningful development have their origins in our political, religious and ethnic setups.
We call on all Africans particularly our leaders to follow the footsteps of Mandela in order to curb some of the conflicts, corruption and be dedicated to the promotion and protection of their people interests.
Take Action! Inspire Change!
AWAAH FRED
(Secretary General) [email protected]/[email protected]/00233(0)243101626
About Nelson Mandela International Day-July 18
General Assembly resolution A/RES/64/13 recognizes Nelson Mandela's values and his dedication to the service of humanity, in the fields of conflict resolution, race relations, the promotion and protection of human rights, reconciliation, gender equality and the rights of children and other vulnerable groups, as well as the upliftment of poor and underdeveloped communities.
It acknowledges his contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.
Take Action! Inspire Change
Can you spare 67 minutes of your time helping others?
Every year, on Mandela Day, people around the world are asked by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to do just that.
By devoting 67 minutes of their time - one minute for every year of Mr. Mandela's public service - people can make a small gesture of solidarity with humanity and a step towards a global movement for good.
UN staff around the world have made a difference through a variety of activities in the past - from offering school supplies to children, to preparing meals for the elderly, helping out in an orphanage, cleaning up parks, and delivering computer literacy workshops.
In New York, UN staff volunteered their time on 17 and 18 July 2013 to help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy last fall.