Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Obituary: Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

Sorry for not posting for a few days--I had a big work deadline to meet. 
Now let's get back to current events!

Article: Last week, Nelson Mandela passed away at age 95. Nelson Mandela is remembered for having guided South Africa from apartheid to a multi-racial democracy. He was buried in South Africa, in his ancestral village. Born July 18, 1918, he was the son of a leading man in his tribe, destined to be a great man in his tribe. Instead, he became a lawyer and decided to fight apartheid, advocating armed resistance to apartheid and forming an armed wing to do that. He was later imprisoned for plotting to overthrow the government and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was jailed for nearly 30 years, being freed when apartheid fell. He then became South Africa's first black president in 1994. In 1993, he received the Nobel Peace Prize. He made reconciliation a huge part of his presidency, bringing together the whites and black of South Africa. For instance, he created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated apartheid crimes and tried to heal wounds, providing a model for other countries. Unfortunately, Mandela's legacy is not a perfect one. He was anti-Israel, equating Israel with apartheid. For that, his record has a blemish.

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