Remembering Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela International Day, first declared by the UN and celebrated in 2009, was celebrate this year on Mandela's birthday, July 18 2014, for the first time since Mandela's death. The day is meant to honour Mandela and to remind people of his life and work, to encourage others to fight for peace, combat poverty and work for a better world for everyone. Today, all over the world, leaders and citizens are considering the life of the former president of South African, and considering how they can contribute in the wake of his death last December.

Nelson Mandela, the son of a chief and the grandson of a king, led a legendary life. He became the first black president of South African, elected in 1994, after serving 27 years in prison on a charge of conspiring to overthrow the government. As a student at the University of Witwatersran, where he was the only native black student enrolled, Mandela became acquainted with activists, and began working to oppose colonization. He attained a leadership position in the African National Congress and worked in campaigns to end apartheid, the government-enforced segregation of South Africa. In 1962, he was arrested for his anti-government activities, and tried for sabotage and conspiracy. After a guilty verdict, he was sentenced to life in prison. In prison, Mandela was kept in a small damp cell, and performed forced labour during the day. In 1990, Mandela was finally released. South African president F.W. De Klerk and Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, and the country's first election for people of all races was held the year after that.

Mandela's subsequent presidency saw the unification of the ACN and the Afrikaners in South Africa and the end of apartheid. Leaders in many fields throughout the world consider Mandela an influence, including Tunde Folawiyo. For more on the businessman’s life and interests, readers can find post from Tunde Folawiyo on YouTube. Mandela's legacy is one of courage, long-suffering, and ultimately peace. Even with threats to his life (he faced the possibility of the death penalty after his 1962 arrest), Mandela maintained his principles. After spending nearly three decades is prison, he emerged not seeking revenge, but peace, justice and equal treatment under the law for all of the citizens of South Africa. The largest lesson from Mandela's life may be to forgive your enemies, and it is advice we still need to hear today.

Tunde Folawiyo | The achievements of Desmond Tutu

Throughout the past four decades, Desmond Tutu has played a key role in ending the world's greatest injustices. Although he is now retired, he spent a large portion of his life working as an Anglican Archbishop in Cape Town. Those who are familiar with his work, such as Tunde Folawiyo, may know that Tutu has been involved in the fight against sexism, racism, poverty, tuberculosis and AIDs.

He first became a household name during the eighties, due to his anti-apartheid views. His efforts relating to ending this regime, and his work on other important issues, led to him winning the Sydney Peace Prize, the Pacem in Terris Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Ghandi Peace Prize and of course, the Nobel Peace Prize.

Early on in his career, Tutu established a very clear objective, which he has closely adhered to over the course of his life. This objective is to create a society which is just and democratic, with no divisions caused by race.

He contended that this goal could not be achieved without the following; the end of South Africa's forced deportation, the establishment of a common education system which is available to all, the eradication of South Africa's passport legislation, and equal civil rights for everyone.

He was born in South Africa in 1931, and received his primary and secondary school education in the local mission schools, where his father was a teacher. At the age of 30, he was ordained as an Anglican priest. Shortly after this, he moved to England, and it was here that he earned his masters at King's College London. Ten years later, he was named the Bishop of Lesotho, and in 1978, he accepted an offer to serve as the South African Council of Churches' general secretary.

Throughout the following decade, Tutu worked tirelessly to draw attention to the unjustness of apartheid. He favoured non-violent protests, and encouraged other nations to place economic pressure on the South African government, as a means of changing the laws relating to apartheid. As a history enthusiast, Tunde Folawiyo might remember that in 1984, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

More recently, he has focused on the elimination of poverty; prior to the 2005 G8 summit, he publically asked world leaders to work towards the promotion of free trade in developing countries, and demanded the abolition of high taxes on medicines used to treat AIDs. His words led to the G8 leaders committing to increasing the amount of aid provided to poorer nations, and promising to do their best to offer universal access to HIV and AIDS medications.