Buy a Bangle, Change a Life.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

For close to three years we’ve dedicated many hours to the 46664 Bangle project – and we’ve done our best to keep promoting the good work of this inspiring initiative in support of the 46664 campaign of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

It requires consistent focus for a Blog to be interesting and useful, and we’re no longer able to maintain a regular blog feed for the 46664 Bangle on this particular web site.

This blog is rich with content on Madiba, 46664, the 46664 Bangle, news from the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and many humanitarian and HIV AIDS-related stories and updates. Feel free to browse our archives and enjoy the wealth of information!

We’re active on Facebook and Twitter – please do join our conversations there and talk to others about this great initiative; encouraging others to buy a 46664 Bangle.

Also … remember Nelson Mandela Day – not only on July 18, which is Nelson Mandela’s birthday – but consider what you can do every day, in honor of Madiba's service to humanity and his legacy of social justice.

Thank you for your continued support!

AIDS2031 Book Launched at Nelson Mandela Foundation

A publication initiated by the aids2031 consortium, AIDS: Taking a Long-Term View, is launched at the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The book’s key message is that the fight against AIDS is a generations-long challenge that requires a new emphasis on long-term planning, financial backing, political commitment and leadership.

Initiated by UNAIDS in 2007, aids2031 is a consortium of partners who have come together to assess lessons learned about the AIDS response, as well as consider the implications of the changing world around AIDS, in order to chart options for the long-term response.

Sharply reducing the number of new infections and AIDS deaths by 2031 requires new ways of thinking about AIDS and responding to the challenges that the pandemic poses.

The 46664 Bangle project raises awareness of social issues such as HIV AIDS prevention, and every sale of the official 46664 Bangle provides income for people in need.

Source: The Nelson Mandela Foundation

Nelson Mandela Foundation on Xenophobia

Xenophobia - a word most people had never heard of, let alone knew how to pronounce, until 2008 when South Africa experienced a violent outbreak of xenophobic behavior.

Soon, it became the ugly buzzword used to describe the intolerance of migrant workers and illegal immigrants - the "hatred or fear of foreigners or strangers or of their politics or culture". Attacks on these foreigners highlighted the underlying social issues causing thousands of people to leave their country in search of a better life in South Africa, as well as the response from struggling communities who see the influx of foreigners as a threat to their own income and job opportunities.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation recently facilitated a series of dialogues in an effort to build social cohesion and understanding between South Africans and foreign nationals. The Foundation has just released a book capturing this two-year-long process, its achievements and challenges.

Read more about key principles such as community ownership, inclusivity, mutual respect and fundamental human rights.

46664 Ambassador, Annie Lennox

Born on December 25th, Annie Lennox talks about how her new album, A Christmas Cornucopia, was inspired by her working class background and nostalgia for the spirit of Christmas.

"People love to touch base with something that is a bit traditional and is about celebration. Even if they are not church-goers, people will pop into church and sing a few Christmas carols. It's a nice thing, especially if people have kids."

Annie is becoming increasingly recognized for her AIDS/HIV charity work on behalf of Nelson Mandela's 46664 charity and The Sing Campaign, which she established in 2007. This year, she was named International Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS called UNAIDS.

Buying a 46664 Bangle Bracelet Makes a Positive Impact on Those in Need

Annie has even teamed up with the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, by becoming his unpaid HIV ambassador. She has become a Scottish ambassador for HIV/AIDS, through the Scottish parliament.

"There is a huge pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa and all around the world but in the UK, we still have an issue with HIV and AIDS and we need to address it, especially when it comes to young people. I just feel that was a way to help me broaden my platform.

Annie’s words about the nobility of the human race sets the tone for a Christmas and New Year where we “support others to help themselves”.

Community Conversations Bring Awareness to HIV AIDS Epidemic in South Africa

Community discussions identify

the drivers of the spread of AIDS

World AIDS Day may be over, but the focus on how to deal with the epidemic continues in South Africa.

This year, the South African theme for World AIDS Day was “I am responsible. We are responsible. South Africa is taking responsibility,” and the Nelson Mandela Foundation commemorated the day by hosting community conversations across the country. Men, women and youth engaged in conversation on how South Africans can take responsibility for responding to the epidemic and its impact.

Groups discussed misconceptions surrounding HIV AIDS, particularly the belief that raping a virgin “cures” HIV. Some of the main drivers of the epidemic identified were substance abuse, prostitution and incest, which contribute significantly to the spread of the virus. It was also felt that a sense of community and ubuntu (“caring for one another”) had been lost, leading to increased stigmatization of those who were HIV positive.

Emphasis was placed on encouraging strong family and community value systems, establishing support groups and offering an integrated approach to HIV counseling and testing that would include family testing.

Read more here about how these discussion help to increase awareness and bring about change in communities affected by HIV/AIDS.

Source: The Nelson Mandela Foundation

World AIDS Day - December 1st

Wearing the official 46664 Bangle shows your support of social issues such as the fight against HIV AIDS

Join the 46664 Bangle team on December 1 and observe the 22nd annual World AIDS Day. Thousands of individuals and organizations will mark this day by raising awareness of HIV AIDS, with the intention of reducing global infection rates and helping orphaned children affected by HIV AIDS.

The 46664 Bangle project plays a committed role in raising awareness of HIV AIDS through the official 46664 Bangle bracelet (on the left), which is engraved with Nelson Mandela's prisioner number. Nelson Mandela's legacy is now being used in a new struggle - the fight against HIV AIDS. The 46664 Bangle is handcrafted in South Africa to raise funds for HIV AIDS prevention projects and to create jobs for communities most affected by this global disease.

There’s positive news about the progress that’s been made in combating this disease as infection rates are falling, but the fight is not over yet. According to the UN, in 2009 there were 2.6m new HIV infections and 1.8m people died from AIDS-related illnesses.

On December 1, we remember those who lost the fight against AIDS, show compassion to those suffering from AIDS, and re-commit to promoting the prevention of this global disease.

What will you do on World AIDS Day?

• Know your status – get tested
• Know your partner’s status
• Encourage your friends to know their status
• Be responsible – prevention, prevention, prevention. Choose condoms to dramatically reduce the chances of infection
• Wear and talk about the official 46664 Bangle bracelet – not just on World AIDS Day … every time you wear your 46664 Bangle, you make a statement of responsibility and increase awareness about HIV AIDS

Create awareness – post a red ribbon as your Facebook profile photo, or go for a double whammy – use our red ribbon photos of the 46664 Bangle, and you’ll also be telling people about the 46664 Bangle project which creates much-needed income in areas with HIV AIDS statistics.

The 46664 Bangle bracelet is available in copper, silver, gold and platinum, and with prices ranging from $24.95 to $17,760 ... there's a bangle to suit everyone's budget.

Buy a Bangle ... Change a Life.

Sometimes it's just too easy to get caught up in what's wrong with the world. Yes, every part of our planet needs help in some way - poverty, disease, lack of education, human rights, political freedom, protecting the environment - they're all major global issues which deserve our serious attention.

Today on Thanksgiving in the US, we're focusing on the positive. In no particular order (sounds like DWTS!), we're grateful for:

1. Access to clean drinking water with no worry about cholera @PlanetWaterLive


2. The choice to use condoms and prevent HIV @talkHIV


3. The ability to get tested, learn our status & prevent HIV @HIVictorious


4. Our political freedom and democracy @hrw


5. Those who make a difference and won't accept the status quo @changemakers


6. Organizations like @dosomething who plant seeds of social responsibility amongst youth


7. Supporters who wear the 46664 Bangle and help create jobs for those in need


8. Individual voices like @bonostreetteam who volunteer their time to raise awareness of social issues


9. Sound logic, like "World Change Starts with Educated Children" @RoomtoRead


10. The #MDGs as a reminder of how lucky we are @WeCanEndPoverty
    

Make your own Thanksgiving list! It'll put a smile on your face and pack a little punch to that turkey stuffing. Happy Thanksgiving from the 46664 Bangle team in the US.

Please Give Nelson Mandela a Peaceful Retirement

The Nelson Mandela Foundation pleads for a peaceful retirement for Nelson Mandela.

He's arguably South Africa's most famous resident and much-loved leader, and people all over the world want a piece of Madiba magic.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation receives at least 4,000 messages a month, paying tribute to Mr Mandela, but there are just as many requests for his signature, endorsements, message of support, a public appearance or an interview.

There are also pleas for Nelson Mandela to intervene in struggles around the world. As far back as 1999 Mr Mandela said the following in response to these calls: “I don’t want to reach 100 years whilst I am still trying to bring about a solution in some complicated international issue.”

At 92 years old, after a life of fighting for human rights and social issues, Madiba deserves a peaceful and quiet retirement.

Source: The Nelson Mandela Foundation

Do You Know Your MDGs?

There are eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) defined by the United Nations, from reducing extreme poverty to improving education and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS ... all by the target date of 2015. The MDGs are driving unprecedented worldwide efforts to meet the needs of the world's poorest.

Nelson Mandela's wife, Graça Machel, is a humanitarian and social activist, and is vocal about Africa taking responsibilitly for addressing the MDGs on its own continent. "Everybody seems to have a plan for our continent. We need a plan for Africa, by Africans. I challenge the youth of today to build a world of equity, prosperity and well-being," she says.

Learn more about the 8 MDGs and how they address gender equality, education, environmental sustainability and other glocal social issues.

Special Edition 46664 Bangle for Auction at Ubuntu Education Fund Event

The Ubuntu Education Fund was founded when American, Jacob Lief, and South African, Banks Gwaxula, took on the challenge of providing vulnerable children access to education, encouraging their academic achievement.

This week at the New York gala fundraiser celebrating their 11th anniversary, a special edition, Mandela Day silver 46664 Bangle will be available for auction, supporting Ubuntu Education Fund’s efforts in South Africa.

Patron of the Ubuntu Education Fund, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, offered this definition of the word, Ubuntu: "It refers to gentleness, to compassion, to hospitality, to openness to others, to vulnerability, to be available to others and to know that you are bound up with them in the bundle of life … he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”

Happy 11th anniversary, Ubuntu Education Fund. Today, as you reach over 40,000 children in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with life-saving health and educational resources and services, thank you for living up to your name.

Make A Difference Day - October 23rd

It' s just over three months since Mandela Day on QJuly 18th - perfect timing to remember the ethos of the worldwide campaign for "ordinary people to do extraordinary things" and contribute in some way to their community.

October 23rd is Make A Difference Day in the US, the nation's largest day of service, and many of the messages echo those of the spirit of Mandela Day and of the 46664 Bangle initiative.

Wearing the official 46664 Bangle is a daily reminder of the power of individuals to help those in need. Make A Difference Day is a call to make that happen in your community on October 23rd. Last year, 3 million people volunteered to help in their communities on Make A Difference Day.

See here for inspiration on how to make a difference in the lives of others; not just on this day, but every day. Find out what's going on in your community, and how you can volunteer. Happy MDDAY from the 46664 Bangle team!

46664 Bangle and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

October 17th is World Poverty Day, and this year's theme is "From poverty to decent work: bridging the gap."

Could there be a more appropriate theme that relates directly to the 46664 Bangle project!

This year, the United Nations is focusing on sustainable models for economic stability through job creation. Through the small contribution of purchasing a 46664 Bangle, people around the world are supporting a project which creates employment for the less fortunate. The 46664 Bangle bracelet becomes a tangible reminder of global social issues; such as poverty, hunger, education and HIV AIDS prevention.

Every 46664 Bangle is handcrafted in South Africa, and even the packaging is made locally, to increase employment. Read these touching letters from people who have received income as a result of the 46664 Bangle project.

As the United Nations initiative reminds us,

"The campaign to make poverty history - a central moral challenge of our age - cannot remain a task for the few, it must become a calling for the many. On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, I urge everyone to join this struggle. Together, we can make real and sufficient progress towards the end of poverty." ~ United Nations Ex-Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, 17 October 2006".

46664 Bangle owners - wear your 46664 Bangle with extra pride on this day, knowing you have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

Read more here about the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Chinese Human Rights Activist and Writer Liu Xiaobo Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Source: Human Rights Watch

Before Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo, was imprisoned, he was quoted as saying, “If you want to be a person with dignity; if you want to be an honest person, fight for human rights and free speech; being imprisoned is part of that undertaking.”

His words about "persisting on this road and walking it to the end" remind us of Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Nelson Mandela, and his long walk to freedom.

The awarding of the 2010 to Liu Xiaobo underscores the urgent need for rights reforms in China. Human Rights Watch reiterated its longstanding call for the release of Liu, whom a Beijing court sentenced to an 11-year prison term on December 25, 2009.

His spurious "subversion" charges stemmed from his role in drafting and circulating Charter '08, an online petition which advocates putting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law at the core of the Chinese political system. Originally signed by 303 Chinese citizens, including rights defenders and legal activists, it has been widely circulated online and has now collected thousands of signatures.

"This award will no doubt infuriate the Chinese government by putting its human rights record squarely back into the international debate," said Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "But this Nobel Prize honors not only Liu's unflinching advocacy; it honors all those in China who struggle daily to make the government more accountable."

Source: Human Rights Watch

Nelson Mandela Foundation Makes Donation to Ebenezer Hannah Home

Boniswa Nyati hands over books to Ebenezer Hannah Home founder Shirley Merime

Continuing the spirit of Mandela Day, staff from the Nelson Mandela Foundation visited the Ebenezer Hannah Home outside Johannesburg, South Africa, to make a donation of clothing, shoes, toys, books, blankets and crockery.

These are the heartwarming stories we love to read about - organizations who do good work in their community, like the Ebenezer Hannah Home. The home was founded by Shirley Merime and houses 75 orphaned and abandoned children and 58 elderly people.

Shirley Merime expressed her gratitude and also thanked Mr Nelson Mandela for teaching South Africans not to have vengeance but to have love and forgiveness. She said: “Tata Mandela reached out for a better future and so that is what we are trying to teach our kids here.”

Source: The Nelson Mandela Foundation

Nelson Mandela Foundation Opposes Xenophobia

Read this interesting article from the Nelson Mandela Foundation about xenophobia, a hot topic at the recent “Dialogue for Social Change” seminar in South Africa.

The message from the Nelson Mandela Foundation is it's important that communities engage with one another about the issues they face. The Nelson Mandela Foundation hosted experts and community members to speak about the outbreak of xenophobic violence in South Africa.

The foundation's chief executive, Achmat Dangor, said: "We brought into one room people with a lot of expertise to take this message to communities".

Paul Graham from the Institute for Democracy in South Africa, spoke about knowledge being key to building trust and understanding. He touched on how, when research is conducted into some of the complex issues with which South Africa grapples, there is little feedback given to the community, meaning that there is little they can do to change. Sharing knowledge leads to a better society, he argued.

He said: “In truly democratic communities, we learn that, when we share knowledge and individuals prosper, our experience as a society expands for the better.”

Nelson Mandela Foundation Facilitates Discussion to Help Orphans

Tiyiselani, Kurhula and Shongi Shisingi, pictured on the left

The spirit of Mandela Day which was highlighted on July 18, continued in the rural community of Giyani in South Africa.

When a concerned teacher told the local church about the plight of three teenage girls living in a one-room shack, the community responded. They approached the Nelson Mandela Foundation for help to restore the dignity of this child-headed household.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation responded through its "Dialogue" program, which encourages and facilitates discussion around resolving critical social issues. It wasn't long before NGOs, the local church and business community had come together to build a four-room house for the teenagers. And to provide the girls with a sense of belonging, the Presbyterian Church committed to be their guardian.

"The conversations’ overwhelming appeal to the local community’s compassion proved that simple conversations can bring people together to build strong, supportive communities." - The Nelson Mandela Foundation

Read here for more of the story of the house that kindness built.

World Humanitarian Day Video Highlights Philosophy of Aid Workers

Last week's World Humanitarian Day brought a focus to the people who serve humanity, no matter what the circumstances. This inspiring video reminds us what it takes for aid workers to respond to global tragedies and social issues.

Waging war on disease, hunger, and violence on women; "everyone is entitled to our help, regardless of race, religion or politics. We work in dangerous environments, but we do not carry guns, or take sides".

The messages of World Humanitarian Day emphasize how preventing these brave individuals from doing their work "harms no-one more than the most vulnerable. Today is a good time for a renewed commitment to humanitarian principles by all concerned" - Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes.

We admire this community of determined people and how their motivation stems from the desire to make a difference, just as the 46664 Bangle project does. We especially loved the cameo feature of Matt making a guest appearance in the World Humanitarian Day video (as in Where The Hell Is Matt). Look out for him - and yes, he is dancing badly!