Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela born July 18th 1918.
At seven years of age, Rolihlahla Mandela became the first member of his family to attend a school, where he was given the name "Nelson", after the Admiral Horatio Nelson of the Royal Navy, by a Methodist teacher who found his native name difficult to pronounce.
His given name Rolihlahla means "to pull a branch of a tree", or more colloquially, "troublemaker"
He said, "Many years ago there was a historic concert in London, which called for our freedom. Your voices carried across the water and inspired us in our prison cells far away. Tonight we can stand before you, free. But even as we celebrate, let us remind ourselves that our work is far from complete. Where there is poverty and sickness including Aids, where human beings are being oppressed, there is more work to be done. Our work is for freedom for all."
The concert raised funds for Mr Mandela's HIV/Aids charity 46664.
46664 charity was named after the prison number which Mr Mandela was given during the 27 years he spent behind bars for his stand against South African apartheid.
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island where he remained for the next eighteen of his twenty seven years in prison. On the island, he and others performed hard labour in a lime quarry. Prison conditions were very basic. Prisoners were segregated by race, with black prisoners receiving the fewest rations. Political prisoners were kept separate from ordinary ciminals and received fewer priveleges. Mandela describes how, as a D-group prisoner (the lowest classification) he was allowed one visitor and one letter every six months. Letters, when they came, were often delayed for long periods and made unreadable by the prison censors.
Following his release from prison in February 11th 1990, his switch to a policy of reconcilliation and negotiation helped lead the transition to a multi-racial democracy in South Africa. Since the end of apartheid, he has been widely praised even by former opponents.
Mandela has frequently credited Mahatma Gandhi for being a major source of inspiration in his life, both for the philosophy of non-violence and for facing adversity with dignity.
Mandela's leadership through the negotiations, as well as his relationship with President F.W. de Klerk, was recognised when they were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
Mandela has received more than 100 awards over four decades, most notably the Nobel Peace Prize.
"During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. 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".
"We say tonight after nearly 90 years of life, it's time for new hands to lift the burdens. It's in your hands now, I thank you."
Nelson Mandela
Throughout history few have left so indelible an imprint on the international stage as Nelson Mandela. His courage, his compassion and his humanity are among the qualities than have led to this Nobel laureate being recognizedNelson Mandela
Throughout history few have left so indelible an imprint on the international stage as Nelson Mandela. His courage, his compassion and his humanity are among the qualities than have led to this Nobel laureate being recognized as the world's greatest living statesman.It is therefore fitting that the extraordinary imprint of his right hand should so closely resemble the shape of the continent of Africa. It is as though its rhythms, sources of strength and dynamism were reflected in the character of this truly amazing man who is now also a talented artist. Never did a single individual more powerfully symbolize the hopes of a nation. South Africa became free in the way that it did because his hand reached out to all and thus his name became a beacon of hope to oppressed peoples throughout the world as the world's greatest living statesman.It is therefore fitting that the extraordinary imprint of his right hand should so closely resemble the shape of the continent of Africa. It is as though its rhythms, sources of strength and dynamism were reflected in the character of this truly amazing man who is now also a talented artist. Never did a single individual more powerfully symbolize the hopes of a nation. South Africa became free in the way that it did because his hand reached out to all and thus his name became a beacon of hope to oppressed peoples throughout the world
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