Rest In Power Nelson Mandela

We salute the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela by sharing a few of his words. the last of the great freedom fighters is gone. Rest in uhuru.


As we reflect on Nelson Mandela’s life, we should take the time to consider the great man’s words of wisdom.
 
1) “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 will live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to see realised. But my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
- Defence statement during the Rivonia Trial, 1964
 
2) "As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility."
-Speaking to the people
 
3) “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
 - 90th birthday celebration of Walter Sisulu, Walter Sisulu Hall, Johannesburg, 18 May 2002
 
4) “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.”
 - Long Walk to Freedom
 
5) "Lead from the back- and let others believe they are in front."
-Statement to the people
 
6) "Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."
-Statement behind bars Discussion
 
7) “You sharpen your ideas by reducing yourself to the level of the people you are with and a sense of humour and a complete relaxation, even when you’re discussing serious things, does help to mobilise friends around you. And I love that.”
 - From an interview with Tim Couzens, Verne Harris and Mac  Maharaj for Mandela: The Authorised Portrait , 2006, 13 August 2005
 
8) “I was called a terrorist yesterday, but when I came out of jail, many people embraced me, including my enemies, and that is what I normally tell other people who say those who are struggling for liberation in their country are terrorists. I tell them that I was also a terrorist yesterday, but, today, I am admired by the very people who said I was one.”
- Larry King Live, 16  May 2000
 
9) “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
 - Long Walk to Freedom.

10) “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
 - University of the Witwatersrand South Africa, 2003
 
11) “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
- Long Walk to Freedom"
 
12) "Any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose." 
--Long work to freedom 
 
13) “Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity.”
 -  From an interview for the documentary Mandela, 1994
 
14) “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
 - Long Walk to Freedom
 
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 2013. He died on December 5, 2013.