A Tribute to Nelson Mandela
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
In a world where all societies are transforming and every woman and man faces rising pressures, let us all stay true to the moral compass set by Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela spent almost two decades in a tiny cell at Robben Island prison. The prison is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom, and of democracy over oppression.
Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th century such as the maximum security prison for political prisoners, witness the triumph of democracy and freedom over oppression and racism.
The Rivonia Trial in 1963 led to Mandela being sentenced to life in prison, alongside other leaders from the African National Congress. The archives from the trial, including this arrest warrant, are now part of the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
In 2005, Nelson Mandela was designated as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, “in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the fight against apartheid and racial discrimination, and his exemplary contribution to international peace and understanding.” He continues to be a voice for UNESCO’s work around the world.
In honour of Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova remarked that he has “taught the world that the dignity of women and men is the only foundation on which to build just societies. He has shown us that peace is not an ideal, or something abstract, but a way of living, a way of interacting with others and with the world.”
Like Nelson Mandela, we must help others, we must reach across all dividing lines, and we must cherish the world we live in.
The Rivonia Trial in 1963 led to Mandela being sentenced to life in prison, alongside other leaders from the African National Congress. The archives from the trial, including this arrest warrant, are now part of the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
UNESCO’s monthly news magazine The Courier was delivered from Paris to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, providing him and other prisoners with vital information about the outside world. This November 1983 issue, which explored issues of racism, features Nelson Mandela on the cover.