International Nelson Mandela Day: Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918. He was a South African black nationalist who spent around 27 years in prison for fighting against the discriminatory apartheid system of racial segregation in the country. He had served as President from 1994 to 1999, the country’s first multiethnic government.
Mandela Day or Nelson Mandela International Day is observed on July 18 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela. He was South Africa’s first black president, Nobel Prize winner and anti-Apartheid icon . Popularly known as Madiba, Mandela passed away in the year 2013, at the age of 95. Known for his sacrifice to re-write the history of generations of South Africans and the world, Mandela was a selfless man. In order to celebrate his birthday, July 18 is celebrated as Nelson Mandela International Day or Mandela Day every year.
The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on July 18, 2010. However, other groups began celebrating Mandela Day on July 18, 2009.
International Nelson Mandela Day Quotes
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
“We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”
“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.”
“After climbing a great hill. One only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”
“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to helping others without expecting anything in return.”
“I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.”
“There is no passion to be found playing small in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”
“Many people in this country have paid the price before me and many will pay the price after me.”
“Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will.”
“It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.”
“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
“Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.”
“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”
“It is what we make out of what we have given, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”