NELSON MANDELA DAY
“It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.”
- Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela International Day (or Mandela Day) is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela's birthday. The day remembers Mandela’s achievements in working towards conflict resolution, democracy, human rights, peace, and reconciliation.
Nelson Mandela Day not only celebrates Nelson Mandela’s life, but it is also a global call to action for people to recognize their ability to have a positive effect on others around them. The day hopes to inspire people to embrace the values that Mandela shared. These values include democracy, freedom, equality, diversity, reconciliation, and respect.
Especially in this day and age, and with everything happening around us in South Africa, we all need to be a voice of hope! A voice of peace! And these values to be shown in our actions.
HERE ARE SOME IDEAS FOR YOU TO DO TO MAKE AN IMPACT THIS MANDELA DAY?
- Do a neighbourhood clean-up or a city park.
- Make ‘care kits’ (including a comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, face cloth, etc. ) for patients at a nearby government hospital.
- Put together stationary packs (pens, stickers, coloured paper, scissors, etc.) for teachers at an under-resourced school.
- Offer to mow the lawn and fix up the garden at a nursing home or hospice.
- Set up a recycling system for your home.
- Offer to fix things at a local school or organisation (paint, broken windows, etc).
- Plant a garden or tree where the whole neighbourhood can enjoy it.
- Offer to read stories to children at a children’s home.
- Baby-sit for a single parent.
- Collect and distribute children’s books to under-resourced schools.
- Pick up groceries or medicine for an elderly person.
- Donate magazines and books to an under-resourced home for the elderly.
- Volunteer at an animal shelter, Adopt a pet from an animal shelter
- Teach someone how to use a computer and the Internet.
The essence of Mandela Day – take action, inspire change, and make every day a Mandela Day.
It is more important than ever before.
#mandeladay2021