Hyderabad: The world celebrates Nelson Mandela International Day each year to shine a light on the legacy of a man who changed the 20th century and helped shape the 21st. Nelson Mandela International Day, also known as Mandela Day, is an international observance in honour of the revolutionary Nelson Mandela, celebrated annually on his birthday, on July 18. The day was officially set by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first observance of Mandela Day was held on July 18, 2010.
The day is a moment for all to renew with the values that inspired Nelson Mandela. Absolute determination. A deep commitment to justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms. A profound belief in the equality and dignity of every woman and man. A relentless engagement for dialogue and solidarity across all lines and divisions.
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Nelson Mandela was a great statesman, a fierce advocate for equality, the founding father of peace in South Africa. In times of turbulence, Nelson Mandela shows us the power of resisting oppression, of justice over inequality, of dignity over humiliation, of forgiveness over hatred.
As the world takes forward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and strives to overcome new sources of adversity, the world needs to recall the lessons of Nelson Mandela’s life, and the essential humanism that guided him: “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.”