Mandela Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, born 18 July, 1918. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in 2009, making this year’s celebration its 10th anniversary.
Mandela Day is not meant as a public holiday, but as a day to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s former President and his values. The Nelson Mandela Goals are Education, Nutrition, Sanitation, Shelter, and Active Citizenship.
Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid political leader who was convicted in 1962 and imprisoned for 27 years. When Frederick Willem de Klerk became president of South Africa in 1989, he gave wide latitude to the anti-apartheid movement and freed political prisoners, including Mandela. Mandela and de Klerk jointly won the 1993 Nobel Prize for Peace.
Summarized from Wikipedia and Mandela Day. ATTENTION TEACHERS: A lot of teaching materials are available on the Mandela Day website.
Disclaimer: The information on this website is accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing. I make no guarantee as to its accuracy. Its purpose is to inform, educate, amuse, and raise awareness about causes and opportunities around the globe. I also encourage civil debate in the comments.
365 Holidays a Year 