Tribute for Madiba on Nelson Mandela Day

MNA Feature Desk: Today is Nelson Mandela Day and tribute will be paid for Madiba all around the world. On this day, the world will remember the works of the greatest leader of the modern era.

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela International Day (or Mandela Day) is an annual international day in honor of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela’s birthday. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010.

As in previous years, people everywhere are being encouraged to perform at least 67 minutes of community service; one minute for every year that Mandela served others through his struggle for social justice.

“Let us seek to continue building on Nelson Mandela’s legacy of selflessness and deep sense of shared purpose,” says the United Nations secretary general in his message to mark the day. “Let us heed the call to “never cease working to build a better world for all”.

From this year, Nelson Mandela International Day also focuses on the rights of prisoners, conditions of imprisonment, and the value of prison staff — addressed in the United Nations’ Revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also called ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’ that were launched in October 2015.

However, other groups began celebrating Mandela Day on 18 July 2009. On 27 April 2009, the 46664 concerts and the Nelson Mandela Foundation invited the global community to join them in support of an official Mandela Day.

Mandela Day is not meant as a public holiday, but as a day to honor the legacy of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s former President, and his values, through volunteering and community service. Mandela Day is a global call to action that celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world, the ability to make an impact.

The Mandela Day campaign message is-

• “Nelson Mandela has fought for social justice for 67 years. We’re asking you to start with 67 minutes.”
• “We would be honored if such a day can serve to bring together people around the world to fight poverty and promote peace, reconciliation and cultural diversity,” according to a statement issued on Mandela’s behalf.

To mark the first global celebration of Mandela Day on 18 July 2009, Mandela’s 91st birthday, a series of educational, art exhibit, fund-raising and volunteer events leading up to a concert at Radio City Music Hall on 18 July was organized by the 46664 concerts and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly formally declared 18 July to be “Nelson Mandela International Day.”