Act, inspires change: Nelson Mandela International Day
Africa, 18 July 2013: As Nelson Mandela lies critically ill in a Pretoria hospital,
the world celebrates his 95th birthday, a day declared by the United Nations as a
way to recognize the Nobel Prize winner's contribution to reconciliation.
So,
as people in South Africa and across the world pray for the ailing icon of justice
and reconciliation, July 18th remains a day that is set aside especially
to contribute to the making of a just society by promoting the values, the vision
and work of the man who brought democracy and equality to an unjust society.
The
day’s emphasis is on remembering the past, stimulating dialogue and encouraging people
to act in order to promote social justice.
Established by the United Nations
in 2009, Mandela Day is a call to action for people everywhere to take responsibility
for making the world a better place, one small step at a time, just as Nelson Mandela
did and it gives each and every one of us the chance to spread justice and freedom
for all.
Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, Archbishop of Durban in South Africa
saids that Mandela Day is a way in which the whole world acknowledges the great act
of personal sacrifice that a man made for - not only his own countrymen - but for
all those who were in any kind of oppression.
"We in South Africa are very
proud of the fact that that aspect of Mandela's life is being highlighted. And we
hope that it is something that young people in particular will want to imitate and
even emulate.
The essence of Mandela Day is the request to all people to give
67 minutes of their time to do something for others. Cardinal Napier explains that
this commemorates the fact that for 67 years of his life, that's what Mandela was
engaged in: working for the rights of others. And so he's asking us to do the same:
to think of others before we think of ourselves.
And Cardinal Napier expresses
his belief that "in this time in history that is something that is exceptionally necessary,
because there is a terribly selfish streak in a lot of people thinking only of themselves,
of their own narrow circle, or of their own party. And if that message of Mandela
gets through it will make a big difference to our country".
At the center of
the International Day for Nelson Mandela is his commitment to the community and the
planet. The theme of the day, "Act, inspires change," aims to mobilize the world to
build a more peaceful future, sustainable and equitable: it is the best way to pay
tribute to this extraordinary man, who embodies the noblest human values.Source: VR
Eng