Nelson Mandela's Private Documents Published - "I'm No Saint"

Nelson Mandela looks at his newly-released book, Conversations With Myself, October 2010

On October 12th, 2010, for the very first time, Nelson Mandela's hidden archives will be published in a new book, Conversations With Myself.

The collection of notes from prison and deeply personal diaries expose the private man behind the icon we fondly call Madiba.

Letters penned in jail by Nelson Mandela reveal his anguish at being separated from his family, and readers will feel the intensity of the pain he was going through in prison. The anti-apartheid icon wrote of his heartache at learning of the death of his 24-year old son in a car crash in 1969. He was not allowed to attend the funeral.

Nelson Mandela pushed for the archives to be opened and published in a new book. Aside from sharing his sorrow and suffering, we also see Nelson Mandela as a human being, as he urges the world not to view him as a saint.

"One issue that deeply worried me in prison was the false image I unwittingly projected to the outside world; of being regarded as a saint," said the Nobel Peace Prize winner, aged 92.
"I never was one, even on the basis of the earthly definition of a saint as a sinner who keeps trying. As a young man, I combined all the weaknesses, errors and indiscretions of a country boy, whose range of vision and experience was influenced mainly by events in the area in which I grew up and the colleges to which I was sent," he wrote.

"I relied on arrogance to hide my weaknesses," he added.

Per this BBC video, "The real man, flawed and human, is actually far more remarkable, far more inspiring than the cliché of some untouchable saint".

Nelson Mandela Day A Tremendous Success

We saw people planting trees, handing out food to the homeless, visiting orphanages, meditating for world peace, and countless other activities to make a difference to their communities on Nelson Mandela Day on Sunday, July 18.

It was an extra meaningful day to wear your 46664 Bangle bracelet as a reminder of the leadership of Nelson Mandela and how each of us can make a positive impact through even the smallest actions.



Morgan Freeman starts the Nelson Mandela Day road trip




Celebrities, sports stars and political leaders around the world mucked in and did their bit, adding glamorous muscle to the celebration of Nelson Mandela Day. But it was the collective power of the individual actions that was particularly inspiring, as communities came together to enjoy helping others in less fortunate situations than themselves – which is the very essence of Nelson Mandela Day.

In the words of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, who thanked people worldwide for their participation:

Let the wonderful work that people have done with and within communities now continue, and people and organisations should establish ongoing relationships with the various charities that they assisted.

Wear a 46664 Bangle on your wrist, keep Madiba in your heart, and make every day a Mandela Day.

Mandela’s Vision Comes True as World Cup 2010 Unites South Africans

Amid the buzzing of the vuvuzelas and the exuberant cheers of the crowd, there was a moment of sadness at the opening match when South African President, Jacob Zuma, referred to the tragic news of the death of Nelson Mandela’s great-granddaughter the night before the opening match.

A mourning Madiba, South Africa’s beloved anti-apartheid icon, could not join in on the explosion of emotion and national pride at the opening ceremony, but the crowd of 95,000 at Soccer City roared its approval when President Jacob Zuma delivered Mandela’s message to enjoy the football – “The spirit of Mandela is in Soccer City”. And indeed it was.

South African team, Bafana Bafana, played a gutsy and passionate game, scoring the very first goal of the World Cup, in their match against Mexico. Although the match ended in a 1-1 draw, spirits ran high as fans celebrated their 83rd ranked team’s results against Mexico, ranked at 17. The sea of multi-colored faces – waving South African flags, trumpeting on their vuvuzelas, and proudly wearing their makarabas, showed the kind of unity Nelson Mandela has always dreamed of.

“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.” – Nelson Mandela

Whatever the challenges are in this rainbow-colored nation, sport has once again reached across the racial divide and today the sun shines brightly in South Africa, fulfilling Madiba’s vision of sports uniting his nation. As FIFA president Sepp Blatter said recently, “Let’s celebrate the most charismatic humanist alive – Nelson Mandela”. Feel the pride of South Africans and read their positive messages here.

World Cup Delight As Family Confirms Mandela Will Attend Opening

It’s just 2 days away from the opening of the world’s biggest sporting event, the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Vuvuzelas are abuzz, spontaneous displays of diski and waka waka dances abound, and the Nelson Mandela bridge in Johannesburg is draped with a gigantic banner of a smiling Madiba. Football Fever is everywhere as national pride explodes across South Africa.

But what has been missing for the last few weeks? Absolute confirmation that South Africa’s most famous citizen, former president Nelson Mandela, would be at the Soccer City stadium’s opening ceremony. A “will he, won’t he?” rumble rippled across the internet as people held their breath, waiting to hear whether the 91-year-old inspirational leader would make an appearance.

Today, a collective cheer could be heard around the world as Nelson Mandela’s family announced that he would be in the audience at the opening ceremony. His grandson, Mandla Mandela, said his grandfather "will come and greet the fans", then will watch the rest of the game from his home. Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesman, Sello Hating, confirmed the statesman's attendance but said a final decision will only be taken on the day.

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, has described Mandela as “the architect of World Cup 2010” and a major influence in bringing the World Cup to the African continent for the first time. Nelson Mandela is a global icon for human rights, reconciliation, diversity, respect and freedom – all of which are powerful qualities to add to the excitement of World Cup 2010 through his presence on June 11th.