• by IPS Correspondents (united nations)
• Wednesday, July 18, 2012
• Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 18 (IPS) - The 193-member U.N. General Assembly Wednesday commemorated International Nelson Mandela Day in honour of the former South African president.

Paying tribute to Mandela, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described him  as "a lawyer and a freedom fighter, political prisoner, peacemaker and president.”

Ban saidMandela --, a healer of nations and a mentor to generations of leaders --  gave 67 years of his life to bring change to the people of South Africa. ‘Our gift to him can – and must – be to change our world for the better.”

Every year on 18 July, individuals around the world are encouraged to devote 67 minutes to helping others – by volunteering in a hospital, tutoring a child, providing food for the homeless, or any other community service.

The 67-minute campaign – “Take Action – Inspire Change” – is based on people devoting one minute of their time for every year that  Mandela devoted to public service.

The President of the General Assembly Nassir Abdelaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar said the United Nations is proud to pay tribute to a legendary figure.  He has created a remarkable legacy through his tireless service to humanity.

“ Our discussions (in the General Assembly) today have highlighted the need to build on Madiba’s example to help change the world for the better. The wonderful presentations by the performers have added soulfulness to our celebration,” he added.

The Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Helen Cark said “many in my generation in my country were inspired by Nelson Mandela’s vision, and were appalled and disgusted by the apartheid system in South Africa which grossly discriminated against people on the grounds of race”.

“Dismantling that system and building a new free and democratic South Africa is the cause to which Mr. Mandela has devoted his life,”said Clark a former prime minister of New Zealand..

“Who can ever forget the words of his closing statement to the South African Supreme Court on 20 April 1964 when he said: “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 as Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela in Mvezo, South Africa.  In 1944 he became involved in the African National Congress (ANC), and created with others, the African National Congress Youth League. After his second arrest on June 12, 1964, he was sentenced to life imprisonment because of his involvement with the ANC. He was released from prison in February 1990.

On May 10, 1994 he became the first elected President from the ANC party and later inaugurated as President to South Africa.

Among the other speakers at the General Assembly meeting Wednesday were: the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development of the Republic of South Africa, Jeff Radebea;  Ibrahim Gambari, former chairman of the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid; and  Enuga Reddy, First Principal Secretary of the UN Special Committee against Apartheid.

Music was contributed by graduate students at the University of Cape Town Opera School: Bongiwe Nakani and Thesele Kemane.

© Inter Press Service (2012) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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