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.jpg) Finally, the meaning of Nelson Mandela will be celebrated on July 18 every year as the Mandela Day. A day on which Mandela was born, July 18 already occupies a special place in the hearts of South Africans. On this day we get to see more of this iconic figure, something we have come to treasure lately because the old-man hardly makes any public appearances since bowing out of active politics. And, we really cannot fault him for the few public appearances. After all, the man is turning 91 years-old - a just mere 9 years from being 100 years old - and had dedicated a whopping 67 years to public activism, which cost him 27 years in prison. But, none can really blame us – we just adore Mandela and glimpses of him allow us to indulge our affection towards the man.
Mandela Day, as President Zuma announced recently, will become an international day. People, throughout the world, will be encouraged to spend 67 minutes of their time on that day towards activities that promote the values that Mandela exemplifies. Bill Clinton, former president of the US, has already pledged support for this idea. Clinton is a great admirer of Mandela, having been inspired by the old-man to dedicate his post-presidential life towards combating the scourge of HIV/AIDS globally. In his autobiography, Clinton describes Mandela thus: “His smile always brightened even the darkest days”. Indeed Madiba’s smile is an outward reflection of his innate compassion, self-sacrifice and dedication to the improvement of the human condition. Though he inspires many, Mandela is but one person. His reach is limited. To encourage most part of humanity to emulate Mandela, a grassroots-based, society-wide campaign is required. The 46664 Campaign was an impressive beginning. Artists use their talent to generate funds that help in the cause against the spread of HIV/AIDS, and fans attend such musical performances partly because of their contribution towards a noble cause. An internationally celebrated Mandela Day, however, takes this campaign even further. Rather than just making a financial contribution towards the cause that Mandela represents, the Mandela Day calls upon each of us to live-out the values that Madiba personifies. It becomes more than a gesture, but a personal responsibility. This campaign will require of us to be true to ourselves. If we truly love this man, as we claim to, for the values he represents, how can we refuse to emulate him? Of course, we may not be as heroic as Mandela. Nor are we required to be. But, we are, for a start, asked to set aside 67 minutes out of our day, once a year, to extend more love, care and respect to others. We will do so through our activities. The idea is that such activities will eventually become part of our daily lives in our own individual spaces, across various geographic locations. The accumulative effect of such activities will then have a much larger impact on our various societies. We at the National Heritage Council, an institution set up to promote our intangible heritage, which encompasses our values, welcome the adoption of the Mandela Day. It forms part of our own programme. Three years back we introduced the Ubuntu Award. The award recognizes iconic figures, whose lives embody values that improve the human condition. Not surprisingly, Mandela was the first recipient, followed by Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda and was recently awarded to the former president of Cuba, Fidel Castro. The award is also given to ordinary people who are actively involved in their own communities, helping to improve the lives of other people. Often these are individuals without financial resources of their own. They undertake these noble activities away from the glare of public limelight, without any expectations of rewards of any kind. Their only satisfaction derives from seeing their efforts translate into the improvement of the lives of people around them. Money is not a prerequisite to do something meaningful. The Mandela Day will add a much required impetus to our own efforts at the NHC. For our part, in addition to the Ubuntu Award, we intend to be actively involved in promoting the objectives of the Mandela Day. We have issued an invitation to members of the public to tell us how they intend spending the 67 minutes on activities that promote the significance of this day. Once we have posted all the entries on our website, we will then select one that outlines activities that best capture the meaning of Mandela. The NHC will visit the individual to record all those activities. Our aim is to give this noble exercise as much publicity as possible to encourage others who may be less keen to get involved. The Mandela Day really calls on all of us to unleash the spirit of volunteerism that resides within us all. People, as Mandela equipped whilst in prison, are generally good-natured, but sometimes require a gesture to bring out this innate part of their character. Mandela was referring to his prison-guards, the very people whose job was to break him. Rather than hate them, Mandela reciprocated by treating them humanely and, ultimately, they came to adore him. If Mandela can show compassion towards his jailers, surely we can do the same to the next person, less fortunate than ourselves. We can do it. After all, we are the Mandela Country! Sonwabile Mancotywa CEO of the National Heritage Council
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