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Nelson Mandela

xcederbl — 2017-04-11 00:25:18 UTC

xcederbl — 2017-04-11 00:25:56 UTC

Background Information

xcederbl — 2017-04-11 00:28:46 UTC

The former president of South Africa and activist helped bring to an end to all apartheid and has been a global campaigner for human rights. Nelson Mandela was a member of the African National Congress party founded in the 1940’s, he lead lots of peaceful protests and armed resistance against the radically white oppressive regime in the divided South Africa. Because of his actions he landed himself in thirty years of prison when he was realised in 1990, he joined the eradication of apartheid, and in 1994 he became the first Black President of South Africa. He said ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. (Nelson, 1990). Once becoming president, he formed a multiethnic government to supervise the country’s transition. As well as supervising the country he formed a multiracial Government of National Unity, lots of people saw this as a gesture towards reconciliation, he encouraged blacks and whites alike around the predominantly national rugby team when South Africa held the 1995 Ruby World Cup. He became the most well-known human rights and apartheid mover in the history of South Africa and even the world, and he was a devoted champion of peace and justice in his own country and around the world.

References

xcederbl — 2017-04-11 10:49:30 UTC

'Nelson Mandela', History, 2017, Accessed: 8th April 2017, http://www.history.com/topics/nelson-mandela

'Biography - Nelson Mandela', Nelson Mandela Foundation,  2017,  Accessed: 8th April  2017, https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography

'Nelson Mandela - Civil rights Activist', Biography,  2016,  Accessed: 8th April  2017, http://www.biography.com/people/nelson-mandela-9397017

Mandela, N 2017,  'Nelson Mandela Quotes', BrainyQuote,  Accessed 11th April  2017, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nelson_mandela.html 

Mandela, N 1990,  'South Africa New Era; Transcipt of Mandela's Speech at Cape Town City Hall', The New York Times,  Accessed 11th April  2017, http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/12/world/south-africa-s-new-era-transcript-mandela-s-speech-cape-town-city-hall-africa-it.html?pagewanted=all 

Trimmer, M 2013,  'Nelson Mandela and his faith', World,  Accessed 11th April  2017, https://www.christiantoday.com/article/nelson.mandela.and.his.faith/34956.htm

Compare and Contrast their worldview with the prevailing worldview of their own culture at the time

xcederbl — 2017-04-11 11:38:47 UTC

Nelson Mandela believed in Gandhi, that non-violence was the key, Nelson leads 25 years of peaceful protests. But in the end, he figured out that it wasn't a moral, but a tactic, and he ended up bombing the British and that is how he landed in jail. Nelson Mandela didn't bomb hugely populated areas, instead, he began sabotaging, and aiming for crops, electricity lines, electricity substations, government offices and government-owned factory machines. He would do this at night to avoid civilian casualties. At times Nelson considered terrorism but said he wouldn't do it unless all other routes had failed.

It has been controversial if Nelson Mandela was a Christian. When he was younger he attended Methodist church and was baptised in a small Methodist stone church in the Eastern Cape village of Qunu. But because of his actions and beliefs, many people still believe he was a Christian. A quote from Nelson Mandela ‘I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people’. (Nelson, 1990), this quote was from a speech made at Cape Town City Hall in 1990, this quote he made, is very Christian based. Using the word such as prophet was very common word Christians used, and also said “a humble servant”, this is also lots of people talked a lot about Jesus, him helping people and becoming their humble servant. Nelson’s faith in Christianity, lead him away from communism, and also the idea of class struggle was misleading, most of the problems were primarily racial in origin.

Mandela's father Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa was a local chief and his paternal great-grandfather was king of the Xhosa-speaking Thembu tribe. As a boy, Nelson grew up in the company of the tribal elders and chiefs, which gave him a rich sense of African self-development and heritage, despite all the cruel treatment that had been given from the British.[1] Nelson was the first of his family to be able to have an education, during his early education in Methodist church schools. This lead him on a path way away from the tribe’s tradition, having an marriage set up by a tribal elder, but he refused and ran away to Johannesburg.

[1] 'Nelson Mandela Biography', Encyclopedia of World Biography,  2017,  Accessed: 12th April  2017, http://www.notablebiographies.com/Lo-Ma/Mandela-Nelson.html

What have you found inspiring about this person and how have they changed your worldview

xcederbl — 2017-04-11 11:46:52 UTC

Nelson Mandela was a courageous man and shown his own opinion on the racial behaviours of the British towards the South Africans. He fought for something that he believed in and in the end he ended up winning, but had a few bumps along the way, he landed himself in jail for 27 years, but never gave up and kept on persevering. This has really inspired me, one of the quotes that I love the most is ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. (Nelson, 1990). One of the things I could see many people didn't agree with was the way he bombed government property during the night, but he did it with a purpose, he strategically did these to stop them from coming in. He also did it during the night to cause low casualties, so he was reasonable with what he did. This has really changed my worldview and if there was anyone else that was as good and impactful in our world today, they would be truly radical

To what extent did Nelson Mandela truly radical

xcederbl — 2017-04-12 01:14:28 UTC

Nelson Mandela’s open-minded view on situations has opened up a much larger view on how he addressed the situation between he British and the South Africans. He fought hard in what he believed in and for many people in South Africa, he opened their minds and found a way for everyone to get involved and free the country of the British. Once he came out of jail, he became president and became of the last greatest liberator, of all time. Now people are trying to replicate his actions by having a more opened minded on situations rather than a closed minded view.

Nelson Mandala challenged the ‘Status Quo’, he challenged the British that were leading the regime through South Africa, through peaceful protests and armed resistance. He wanted to challenge the British because he didn't think it was fair for white people to come into countries and claim the country as theirs even though people lived there, just because someone’s skin is black doesn't mean they can’t have a say in what they believe in.

Nelson Mandela took risks that no one else would do, he fought for human rights for South Africa and for many other countries around the world. In the end Nelson Mandela had to spend 27 years in jail, because of his actions, so even he took the risk, but once he got out jail all his dreams came true and all black rights had been put forward and he had made an impact for South African Culture and the rest of the world. Even though he took risks in the end it was worth it.

Nelson Mandela worked for transformation rather than controlling and demanding conformity. He tried to free his country of the British, but some of his beliefs made him demand for conformity, but as time went on he started to transform the situations. When he did 25 years of peaceful protests, but then realised it didn't work, he bombed small places that were important, and this lead him on to transforming situations that didn't have much hope to something much bigger.

Nelson Mandala would’ve offended the British who were leading the regime in the 1940’s, that is the reason Nelson Mandala was arrested. He could’ve offended many people that believed in British being superior to blacks, but having someone go against their beliefs would’ve offended them and would’ve made them angry with how blacks were being brought up, being able to have a say in what they want.