NELSON MANDELAThe first president of South

Africa

OVERVIEWBorn in 1918 and died in 2013 at the age of 95

Best known as an activist and the first president of South Africa & for serving 27 years in prison

Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993

Helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human rights

He was a civil rights leader & became a symbol for his people.

DEFINE APARTHEID According to Merriam-Webster dictionary,

apartheid is a former social system in which black people and people from other racial groups did not have the same political and economic rights as white people and were forced to live separately from the white people.

AKA the policy of “racial segregation.”

EARLY LIFEBorn on July 18, 1918 into a royal family of

Thembu tribe in the South African village of Mvezo

His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, served as chief of the tribe.

Trained to be a tribal leader

His birthname is Rolihlahla. He got the nickname Nelson from a teacher in school.

EDUCATIONThe first in his family to receive a formal

education.Attended the elite University of Fort Hare in

1939 Studied law at the University of

Witwatersrand

POLITICAL CAREERIn 1944, Mandela joined the African National

Congress (ANC). Became a leader in ANC in 1948

At first, he pushed hard for the Congress & the protesters to follow Mohandas Gandhi’s non-violence approach (passive resistance).

However, this approach did not work so he used a more radical approach.

Soft power + hard power = smart power

“It would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders

to continue preaching peace and nonviolence at a time

when the government met our peaceful demands with

force. It was only when all else had failed, when all

channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that

the decision was made to embark on violent forms of

political struggle.”

PRISON YEARSHe was classified

as a terrorist by the South African government and sent to prison for treason in 1963.

Released in 1990 because of the international pressure from the world.

FAMOUS QUOTE “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic

and free society in which all persons live

together in harmony and with equal

opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to

live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is

an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon

which you can use to change the world.”

INFLUENCES

Influence on civil rights, human equality, peace and forgiveness

Improved citizens’ livesBuilt schools and hospitals Formed a multiethnic government to oversee

the country’s transitionA devoted champion for peace and social

justice in his own nation and around the world

CHARACTER & CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS

- Very determined on his goals. - Merciful & a generous soul

- Extensive charitable work, including the creation of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, and the 46664.  

- Died on December 5, 2013 from a recurring lung infection

- Current president of South Africa: Jacob Zuma

WORK CITED Mandela, Nelson. Long Walk to Freedom: The

Autobiography of Nelson Mandela. Little, Brown and Co., Boston, 1994.

"Nelson Mandela - Biographical". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 5 Jun 2014. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-bio.html>

"Nelson Mandela." Kid's Biography:. Ducksters, n.d. Web. 03 June 2014.

"Nelson Mandela." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 04 June 2014.

QUESTIONS 1. What does Mandela symbolize for his people?

2. Do you feel the government was justified for imprisoning Mandela for 27 years? Explain.

3. What is the social change that Mandela wants to make?

4. Do you think Mandela used soft power or hard power or both? Explain.