Nelson Mandela International Day 2022: History, early Life & struggles; Everything you need to know

Nelson Mandela the anti-apartheid leaderand former president of South Africa showed the world the power of morality andfought for the right of the people all throughout his life. In memory of hisdevotion and contribution to mankind, the United Nations officially designatedNelson Mandela Day or Mandela Day in November 2009. Since then every year onJuly 18^th the birth anniversary of this great world leader.

Mandela was the first black presidentof South Africa, his 67 years long battle against racial discrimination and humanrights violations brought him success over the discriminatory practices facedby the members of his communities and other such people for generations. One ofthe biggest purposes and importance of acknowledging this day is to teach thepeople around the globe to create a difference in their communities for achange that must ensure them a life of dignity, by contributing to society. Onesuch importance is to remind people of his legacy and his continuous battle forthe right which society owes them.

Life of Nelson Mandela:

• Mandela was given the name ‘Nelson’ byhis teacher, on the first day of elementary school. He was named ‘Rolihlahla’at the time of his birth, which means a ‘troublemaker’ in his tribe.
• Mandela’s wife Graca Machel was earliermarried to Mozambique President Samora Machel.
• Mandela was passionate about boxing
• Nelson also appeared in a movie in1992. It was Spike Lee’s biopic ‘Malcolm X’, Mandela for a short while appearedin the movie in the role of a teacher.
• Mandela won over 250 awards throughouthis life for his contribution in some form the other, including Nobel Prize forPeace in the year 1993. Later a year after his death, The United Nations institutedNelson Mandela Prize in the year 2014, for people around the globe for servinghumanity.
• Mandela died in the year 2013 at theage of 95, after a prolonged respiratory infection.

Nelson has given theworld hope that anything can be achieved through struggle and continuousefforts all in a humane and justified way. Among several of his iconic words, onethat perfectly denotes Mandela’s struggle and what he achieved, “It is in yourhands, to make a better world for all who live in it”