Every year on 18 July South Africans together with the international community honour our former president and international icon Nelson Mandela. We embrace Madiba’s values and honour his legacy through humanitarian acts and initiatives that acknowledge his never-ending quest to change the world for the better.
Asics Onitsuka Tiger
The overarching objective of Nelson Mandela International Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere to “Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.”
President Jacob Zuma in his State of the Nation Address announced that this year Mandela Day would be celebrated by working to clean up the South Africa. The President encouraged all South Africans to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to clean South Africa.
President Zuma said: “Let us begin planning for a major clean-up of our cities, town, township, villages, schools and beautify every part of our country”.
Nelson Mandela International Day was officially adopted by the United Nations in November 2009 as an annual international day. The UN noted it Mandela's "values and his dedication to the service of humanity" and acknowledging his contribution "to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world".
The idea is to do something that will benefit those around us on Nelson Mandela International Day was inspired by Mandela himself at his 90th birthday celebration in London's Hyde Park in 2008, when he said: "It is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It is in your hands now." Today the Nelson Mandela International Day campaign asks that individuals, groups and corporates pledge 67 minutes of their time on 18 July, and every day thereafter, to give back.
This year's Nelson Mandela International Day is particularly symbolic for South Africans as it is the first one since former president Nelson Mandela's passing. It offers South Africans and the world, an occasion to honour the ethos of the late former President Mandela in the year that also marks South Africa's 20 Years of Freedom.
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SUPPORTING STATEMENTS |
- Let us clean-up South Africa this Mandela Day.
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- Government encourages all South Africans to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to clean South Africa.
- Let us practice a healthier and cleaner way of living by taking care of our environment and cleaning up the areas where they live.
- We can beautify our country by getting together for a major clean-up of our cities, town, township, villages and schools.
- Litter has a simple solution, it belongs in a bin. South Africa could be litter-free if all 52-million of us place our litter where it belongs
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- Let us honour the memory of our icon by making this the best Nelson Mandela Day.
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- Nelson Mandela has been one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero who embarked on a lifelong dedication to the fight against injustice and racial oppression.
- Nelson Mandela International Day is dedicated to the service of our fellow human beings by actively helping to change their circumstances.
- It is a global call to action for people everywhere to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place.
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- We can celebrate Madiba’s life by doing what he loved.
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- Nelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life to the struggle for social justice and to make the country and world a better place.
- Every South African has the opportunity to do their bit on 18 July by doing something for 67 minutes that will make a difference for a lifetime.
- Individuals, communities and businesses can donate their time by supporting a charity or serving their local community.
- No matter how small the action, the aim is to change the world for the better - just as Mandela did.
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- Let us make every day a Mandela Day.
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- To celebrate Madiba’s life, we need to stay true to his ideals, including his unwavering commitment to justice, equality and a non-racial South Africa.
- All South Africans have a responsibility to promote freedom and defend our democracy in honour of Madiba’s life-long commitment to these ideals.
- His legacy lives on in our commitment to ensure a just and fair society for all, including the rights to dignity and freedom of expression.
- Government remains determined to ensure that all South Africans, without exception enjoy all the rights enshrined in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
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- Mandela’s legacy continues to live on through our actions.
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- We have pledged as a nation under the leadership of Nelson Mandela that never again shall one person be oppressed by another.
- We must pursue the dreams and aspirations of Nelson Mandela as we continue to respect the basic human rights; and remain committed to the rule of law and Constitution.
- Working together we can move South Africa forward to overcome the challenge of unemployment, poverty, inequality and diseases.
- We must all make it our duty to translate our Constitutional guarantees into reality for all South Africans to enjoy.
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