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A man who freed South Africa from the system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race. One question that is prevalent nowadays is “WHO was the greatest of the statesmen of the 20th century?”On its list, we have many personalities. A few names that come to my mind are Mohandas Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, Charles de Gaulle, Jack Kennedy and Nelson Mandela. For many people, in many lands, the most inspirational personality and leader out of these would be the last, who died on December 5th, 2013, aged 95 and created a void that cannot be filled. This article highlights the key movements and takes away from the life of Nelson Mandela.
Mr Mandela has walked a long road and now stands at the top of the hill. A traveller would sit down and admire the view. But a man of destiny knows that beyond this hill lies another and another. The journey is never complete.” F.W.de Klark referring to Nelson Mandela. Both were 1993 Nobel Peace Laureate who South African owes nobility and ambition to push their beloved nation forward.
Mr Mandela’s valiant status is exceptional. Mandela’s fame was confined only to the African region in the initial years. He gained visibility after his first trial, for high treason, ended in 1961. Though acquitted, he remained free for little more than a year before being convicted on sabotage charges at the Rivonia trial, which began in 1963. During his long subsequent confinement, more than 17 years of which were spent on Robben Island, a wind-scorched Alcatraz off the Cape coast, little was heard of Mr Mandela and nothing was seen of him. When he emerged from captivity on February 11th 1990, no contemporary photograph of him had been published since 1964; the world had been able only to wonder what he looked like.
He was by then 71 years old, and barely ten years of semi-active politics remained to him. Nonetheless, more than any other single being, he helped during that decade to secure a conciliatory and mostly peaceful end to apartheid, one of the great abominations of the age, and an infinitely more hopeful start to a democratic South Africa than even the most quixotic could have imagined 20 years earlier.
Today Mandela is rightly honoured as a hero and the anti-Apartheid campaign he led is celebrated as having ended an appalling injustice. But for most of history, the racist beliefs against which he fought were almost universally accepted in white societies. In the broader sweep of history, Mandela will be remembered for helping to bring an end to the belief that people are inferior because of the colour of their skin. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Mandela was a great person – a black person, who injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilisation. For all these deeds he will always be remembered as a person with a strong stature and a heart for humanity.
What Are The Life Lessons Takeaway From Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela has left us a legacy of forgiveness, reconciliation and his pledge for freedom for everybody, no matter their race or colour. Here are some precious lessons from the leader’s life that you can incorporate into your’s if you crave to see a decisive transformation.
Take complete charge for your life and fate
I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul___ Nelson Mandela
Mandela dreamed of giving his participation to the freedom struggle of his people. He was suspended from his first trial at studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree for joining in a student protest. When the king of his community warned him and asked him to return to his school. He ran away to Johannesburg where he worked as a mine security officer. Somehow, he managed to complete his BA at the University of South Africa. Mandela had no degree in law and for bringing some changes in society’s norms he had to take help of the law. So he decided to take two years diploma in law. This diploma enabled him to practice law and established South Africa’s first black law firm.
You can see how he took responsibility for his life and made his destiny with his own hands. No matter how valid justifications you have, the first step in getting what you want out of your life is taking responsibility for your life.
Tough times don’t last, tough people, do
“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell and got back up again.”_____ Nelson Mandela
Anyone who wants to achieve great results must make his own journey through obscurity and uncertainty towards the ray of hope. If you discover a purpose worth fighting for, one grows passionate, and passion helps fuel the flames of determination. Against the policies of his country’s apartheid government, Mandela commenced a non-violent action. It was the reason that steered him to jail for 27 years. He got out and became South Africa’s first-ever black president Mandela’s road to building change came with gigantic barriers, but he never gave up.
Uncover the Philosophy of Compromise
“You must not compromise your principle, but you mustn’t humiliate the opposition. No one is more dangerous than the one who is humiliated.____ Mandela”
Negotiation is a discussion where people resolve their differences intending to reach an agreement. In the hunt for your goals, you are going to face opposition. Your ability to negotiate to reach a win-win situation for all parties will take you further in your life.
If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then the enemy becomes your partner. This is the principle of Mandela on which he worked.
Generally, we assume, today’s generation has not the ability to compromise they do not want to stay behind in any manner so they want to win every battle or argument. This is the reason why people do not settle their differences and the bridge of views expands among them.
Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace
“Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”
As we told you Mandela follow the non-violent path, he was always ready to settle his differences with his opponents. He also taught people the art of forgiveness and he showed his kindness by his one move. Mr Mandela made the first move in forgiveness by learning Afrikaans, the language of his oppressors while in a prison. When he became president, he encouraged black South Africans to support the white-dominated national rugby team, the Springbrook. As South Africa hosted the 1995 rugby world cup, Mandela wore the t-shirt at the final against New Zealand. And after that Springbrook won the match. Mandela presented the trophy to the team. This was the first major step taken by him to reconcile white and black Africans. With this move, Mandela won the heart of millions of white rugby fans.
So, learning to forgive and move on, is not a sign of weakness, but rather of courage.
Grow as an unconquerable soul
While facing the death penalty, his words to the court at the end of his famous “ speech from the dock” on 20th April 1964 became immortalized.
“ I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is in the 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.”
After this speech, Mandela became more famous and won millions of hearts. But the credulity level of white officers increased more. Even they did not allow him to go to the funeral of his mother and sentenced him to the death penalty.
Do not live without the aim
Mandela always said, do not live without any aim, live purposefully. But now people changed the view of living they think life is all about owning expensive things. Their life revolves around materialistic things. There is more to life. You do not need to spend it on things that do not serve your purpose and values.
Make your life purposeful, make your own values and conditions.
Poverty is not natural, it’s man-made
“Overcome poverty is not a charity, it is an act of justice like slavery and apartheid. Poverty is not natural, it’s man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. If you are living a life below what you have hoped for, know that your condition is not permanent. You cannot just outlive your adversity but also end up at a place that was once in your wildest dreams._____ Nelson Mandela
Hence, poverty can be overcome at individual, community, national and even global levels. It lies on our individual and collective responsibility to make that our reality.
“ Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your generation blossoms.”—- Mandela
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