UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for Nelson Mandela International Day, observed on 18 July: Nelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life to the struggle for human rights and social justice. The United Nations joins the Mandela Foundation in asking people around the world to devote at least 67 minutes of their time on 18 July — Madiba’s birthday — to a community service activity. As the United Nations marks its seventieth anniversary, there is no better time to reflect on the life and work of Mr. Mandela, who embodied the highest values of the United Nations. This year, the United Nations is bestowing the first-ever Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize, established by the General Assembly. This honorary award will be presented every five years to two individuals — a man and a woman — who, through their dedication, hard work and compassion, have built on Madiba’s legacy. Nelson Mandela once said: “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.” He was a leader who acted with a steadfast belief in justice and human equality. Let us all continue, each day, to draw inspiration from Nelson Mandela’s life-long example and his call to never cease working to build a better world for all.

The United Nations linked its My World Campaign to Mandela Day. Designed to secure participation by global citizens in the identifying of new development goals, it has already secured contributions from nearly 3 million people around the world. Mandela Day activations were recorded in 126 countries. Over 1 200 actions were registered on the Mandela Day website and there are more to come. Nearly half a million food parcels were distributed to needy South Africans. Over a million sanitary towels were made available to South African schoolgirls. Drawing on volunteers from Australia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, the US and South Africa, Habitat for Humanity built another 67 houses for those in need. And we recorded over 15 000 books donated to school libraries on the day itself. The Mandela Day Library Programme should result in an additional 30 library spaces to the over 55 we have already delivered before year-end.

On 26 June 2014, over 2 000 elderly members of a rural community in Hammanskraal, North West Province, received a much-welcome winter gift – a thick blanket donated by the Al-Imdaad Foundation and personally handed over to them by Zwelivelile “Mandla” Mandela, chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council and grandson of the late Nelson Mandela. An initiative of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Al-Imdaad Foundation and the Chief himself, the blanket handover project represents Mandla Mandela's call to make every day a Mandela Day by helping those in your community in whatever way they can.