Nelson Mandela International Day, held annually on his birthday, July 18, offers people the opportunity to make a positive contribution by volunteering for 67 minutes – in honour of each year he fought for justice.
This year’s theme is: We still have to fight poverty and inequality..
Mr Mandela spent nearly three decades in prison for protesting against human rights abuses and serious injustices against black South Africans. He died in December 2013.
A lasting legacy
His visionary leadership not only ended apartheid but continues to resonate and inspire today, said United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis.
“His lasting legacy has left an indelible mark on the world – and a testament to the profound positive impact of human good deedswhen we choose to give our best,” Mr. Francis told the Trusteeship Council at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
“This is exactly what we need – now more than ever – to confront the division, hatred and prevent the avoidable conflicts we see in places like Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and elsewhere around the world.”
Uneven and divided
In a message marking the Day, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Note that the world is unequal and divided, poverty is rampant.
The world’s richest one percent of the population, he said, “are responsible for as much planet-destroying greenhouse gas as two-thirds of humanity.”
“These are not natural facts. They are the results of human choices. And we can decide to do things differently“ .
His message was read by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who followed up Mr Guterres’ statement.
Unable to deliver
She recalled that Mr. Mandela wrote in his autobiography, Long Road to Freedomthat poverty is not an accident like slavery and apartheid. Instead, it is man-made, which means it can be abolished by humans.
She said action so far was not enough, as the latest UN Sustainable development goals The report found that 23 million more people fell into extreme poverty in 2022 and 100 million more people were suffering from hunger compared to five years ago.
Ms Mohammed stressed that not all the news was bad. There has been progress in boosting renewable energy, getting more people online and the number of girls completing school..
“However, in general, We know that we cannot keep our promise. and the hope of the Sustainable Development Goals. We can blame the lingering impacts of COVID 19, escalating conflicts, geopolitical tensions and growing climate chaos, but if we look deeper, it is our choices that have brought us here,” she said, calling for a renewed commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Long Road to Friendship
American editor and author Richard Allen Stengel was just 36 when he worked with Mr Mandela on his autobiography, which was published in 1994 – the year he became the first black president of a democratic South Africa.
Mr. Stengel – later the US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the Obama administration – recalled that he had to prove his mettle to a man who respected his age and experience.
He spent more than a year working with Mr Mandela – affectionately known as “Madiba” to the Xhosa people – essentially becoming his “shadow” and eventually his friend.
Unveiling of Nelson Mandela Statue from South Africa
Mr Stengel believes the late leader would agree with the theme of the day because although Mr Mandela was dedicated to the common goal of democracy in South Africa, he still said that “freedom means nothing if you can’t feel your stomach”.
Commitment to democracy
Mr Mandela was many things – freedom fighter, political prisoner, African nationalist and African nationalist, he recalled.
“But above all he is a small-d democrat,” Mr. Stenghel said. “He believes in the idea of democracy, believes that democracy is the most effective engine to achieve and eradicate poverty and overcome inequality.”
This message is very important at this time “The shadow of dictatorship is spreading all around us.,” he continued.
Mr Stenghel continued that although Mr Mandela achieved democracy, he could not overcome poverty.
“But he had a great quote that always resonates with me, and when it comes to this subject, it’s something we should all remember: It always seems impossible, until it’s done.”
Priorities must change
The United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the International Fund for Agricultural Development Sabreina Elba notes that since 2020, the fortunes of the world’s five richest billionaires have doubled – while more than half of humanity has become poorer.
Inequality is “rampant” in food systems, she said, with food growers in the most vulnerable areas struggling while big companies make “record profits”.
“So what needs to change? Do we have the courage to change? If we are serious about ending poverty, we need to change our priorities,” she declared.
Small farmers need to be invested in alongside other businesses working with them “and we need to make sure that climate finance gets to them so they can adjust their operations to changing weather patterns,” International Fund for Rural Development (IFAD) The ambassador added.
