The Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated every year on July 18. This day was officially declared by the United Nations in 2009 through a resolution in the General Assembly, and the first UN Mandela Day was held on July 18, 2010.
The day is not meant as a public holiday but to celebrate the life and works of Nelson Mandela through volunteering and community service.
Who was Nelson Mandela?
Nelson Mandela (full name Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela) was a black nationalist and South Africa’s first democratically elected black president. In the early 1990s, he negotiated with South African President F W de Clerk to end the system of racial segregation and apartheid and bring about a democratic rule. Both the presidents were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993. He served as the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
From 1964 to 1982, Mandela was incarcerated by the South African state on grounds of treason. Even while being incarcerated, he had a wide support from within the black community. He reportedly rejected three conditional offers for his release during this time.
Mandela did not seek a second term as the president but retained an extremely strong international presence, trying to ensure the propagation of peace and social justice.
Mandela passed away in 2013, aged 95, after suffering from a prolonged respiratory infection.
The 18th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture
The 18th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture was delivered by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Nelson Mandela International Day in 2020. For the first time, the lecture was held via videoconferencing, in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The Secretary General pointed out the existing inequalities in today’s world and the injustices the world must continue to fight.
67 minutes Mandela Day
Mandela Day is also known as 67 Minutes Mandela Day. The phrase “67 minutes” is used to convey the message that people should do something good for 67 minutes on this day, one minute for each year that Mandela served his nation.
Why was July 18 chosen for Nelson Mandela International Day?
July 18 is Nelson Mandela’s birthday. Mandela had announced the idea of this day during his 90th birthday celebrations, saying: “It is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It is in your hands now.”
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