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	Let us all continue to be inspired by Nelson Mandela by SABC & agencies South Africa   December 2013   The United Nations family mourned the loss – and celebrated the enduring legacy – of Nelson Mandela, the former South African leader and peace advocate.   As the UN flag was lowered to half-staff over the world body"s Headquarters in New York, the 193-member General Assembly held a moment of silence to honour the memory of the man affectionately known as “Madiba,” who emerged from 27 years of imprisonment to become South Africa"s first black President and is known worldwide for his compassionate yet determined efforts to dismantle the country"s legacy of apartheid.   “Today, in this Assembly of Nations, we mourn the loss of Mr. Nelson Mandela, one of our world"s greatest leaders,” said Assembly President John Ashe, who added that the example of Mr. Mandela"s life and actions, “demonstrates the difference one person can make in the face of adversity, oppression and prejudice, while maintaining a disposition of humility, humour and modesty that is so rare amongst people of his stature.”   In his remarks, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson hailed Mr. Mandela"s courage, farsightedness, political skills, and kindness, adding that: “In a world too often riven and divided by vicious cycles of violence and revenge, perhaps the most impressive of President Mandela"s gifts was his power of forgiveness, his ability to overcome bitterness and hatred.”   “We remember Nelson Mandela today. But we should carry his spirit with us every day,” continued Mr. Eliasson. “It means, speaking out against prejudice and discrimination wherever we see their dark manifestations. It means, standing up against the indignity and deprivation that millions of our fellow human beings still suffer around the world.”   In her remarks, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said she remembers well how, when Mr. Mandela was finally released from prison, feelings in South Africa were boiling: feelings of hatred, “a thirst for revenge, a burning desire to discriminate against those who had so ruthlessly discriminated against us. I shared some of those feelings – it was hard not to, after living so many long years under apartheid.”   But, she said, Mr. Mandela refused to go down that path, just as earlier he had refused to make a deal to win his own freedom in return for selling out on the principles of the liberation movement. “He turned it all around with words. He told us to throw our spears and guns into the sea. He told us to set aside our desire for vengeance and work for a South Africa not just free of racism, but free of all types of discrimination.”   As a young lawyer, Ms. Pillay acted as a defence attorney for anti-apartheid activists, exposing torture, and helping establish key rights for prisoners on Robben Island. In 1995, after the end of apartheid, Mr. Mandela appointed her to be the first black woman judge on the South African High Court. Later, he launched her international career when he asked her to serve as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), where she served a total of eight years, including four as President.   Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said the agency and the entire AIDS community are heartbroken by the passing of the global statesman, whom he hailed as a “passionate advocate for people living with HIV.” He said that Mr. Mandela"s actions helped save millions of lives and transformed health in Africa.   “He broke the conspiracy of silence and gave hope that all people should live with dignity,” said Mr. Sidibé, explaining that Mr. Mandela devoted much of his time advocating for access to HIV treatment, ending stigma and ensuring all babies are born free of the virus. “He was my personal hero and showed me that even in the face of adversity it is possible to realize your dreams and move mountains, the agency chief added.   Hailing Mr. Mandela as “a giant among men,” Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said the South African leader had taught the world an enduring lesson about the power of peace and reconciliation, the importance of forgiveness and respect for the dignity of all people. “the greatest tribute we can pay him is to carry on his message of hope and to continue the fierce defence of the values he stood for”.   http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/NelsonRolihlahlaMandela.aspx http://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00027835.html http://allafrica.com/specials/Nelson_Mandela_Life_And_Times/ http://www.nelsonmandela.org/ http://www.nelsonmandelachildrensfund.com http://www.sabc.co.za/mandela http://madiba.mg.co.za/ http://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/   December 5, 2013   Nelson Mandela, South Africa"s first black president who helped lead the country"s revolution out of the brutal apartheid system, died Thursday at his home at the age of 95. "He is now resting," said South African President Jacob Zuma. "He is now at peace."   "Our nation has lost his greatest son," he continued. "Our people have lost their father."   Mandela had been suffering from several health issues including repeated hospitalizations with a chronic lung infection.   “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion,” Mandela wrote in his memoir Long Walk to Freedom. “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”   Mr Mandela - who was often referred to in his home country by his clan name Madiba - passed away peacefully at his Johannesburg home.   South African president Jacob Zuma announced the news of Mandela"s death.   "Fellow South Africans, our beloved Nelson Rohlihla Mandela, the founding president of our democratic nation, has departed," he said in a nationally televised address.   "Our people have lost a father. Although we knew this day was going to come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss.   "His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world. His humility, passion and humanity, earned him their love."   US president Barack Obama said he considered himself among the "countless millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela"s life", and the world was unlikely to see the likes of him again.   "He achieved more than could be expected of any man and today he"s gone home and we"ve lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth. He no longer belongs to us, he belongs to the ages," Mr Obama said.   "Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa and moved all of us. His journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings and countries can change for the better.   "His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. The fact that he did it all with grace and good humour and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections only makes the man that much more remarkable."   United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his profound sadness at the passing of Nelson Mandela, extolling the life of the late human rights lawyer, prisoner of conscience, international peacemaker and first democratically-elected President of post-apartheid South Africa as an inspiration for all.   ‘Madiba,’ as Mr. Mandela was affectionately known, passed this afternoon at his home in Johannesburg. He was 95.   “Nelson Mandela was a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration,” Mr. Ban said at UN Headquarters in New York.   “On behalf of the United Nations, I extend my deepest condolences to the people of South Africa and especially to Nelson Mandela’s family, and indeed our global family.”   Mr. Ban noted that many people worldwide were greatly influenced by Mr. Mandela’s selfless struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom. “He touched our lives in deeply personal ways. At the same time, no one did more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the United Nations.”   “Nelson Mandela showed what is possible for our world and within each one of us – if we believe, dream and work together for justice and humanity,” said the Secretary-General. “His moral force was decisive in dismantling the system of apartheid,” said Mr. Ban.   “Remarkably, he emerged from 27 years of detention without rancour, determined to build a new South Africa based on dialogue and reconciliation.”   Mr. Mandela devoted his life to the service of his people and humanity, and he did so at great personal sacrifice, said the Secretary-General.   “Let us continue each day to be inspired by his lifelong example and his call to never cease working for a better and more just world.”   The Nelson Mandela Foundation, The Nelson Mandela Children"s Fund and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation have expressed their sadness at the death of Nelson Mandela.   "We want to express our sadness at this time. No words can adequately describe this enormous loss to our nation and to the world.   "We give thanks for his life, his leadership, his devotion to humanity and humanitarian causes. We salute our friend, colleague and comrade and thank him for his sacrifices for our freedom. The three charitable organisations that he created dedicate ourselves to continue promoting his extraordinary legacy.   "Hamba Kahle Madiba," the three foundations said.   Nelson Mandela International Day, in New York, 18 July, 2013. (UN News)   This year’s commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day comes as the globally revered Madiba remains in hospital. At this difficult time, our thoughts are with Mr. Mandela, his family and all the people of South Africa. We are united in concern. We are also joined in admiration for a towering figure in the worldwide fight for equality and justice, a model of compassion and integrity, a man who took on and then gracefully relinquished the responsibility of power.   Nelson Mandela is a giant of our times. He gave 67 years of his life to the struggle for human rights. On this International Day, the United Nations and the Mandela Foundation are calling on people around the world to devote at least 67 minutes of their time today to community service.   Today and every day, we want to mobilize the human family to take action, inspire change and build a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable world.   The animating spirit of this Day is good works for people and the planet. This is the best tribute we can pay to an extraordinary man who embodies the highest values of humanity. Nelson Mandela has done as much as anyone to shape the very conscience of the international community.   Now, in the twilight of an extraordinary life, we send our prayers his way and give thanks that we have had the privilege of sharing some of his 95 years with him. Let us all continue to be inspired by Nelson Mandela.   In November, 2009, the United Nations General Assembly passed a consensus resolution declaring July the 18th - that day he was born - Nelson Mandela International Day. The resolution, co-sponsored by 165 countries, recognized the values and the dedication of Madiba to the service of humanity, and designated the day"s observance each July beginning in 2010.   http://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/   June 26, 2013   Mr Mandela, the hero of black South Africans battle for freedom during 27 years in apartheid jails, was rushed to hospital on June 8 with a recurring lung infection.   A group of preschoolers and their teachers sang the South African national anthem and chanted Mr Mandela"s name as they rallied at the hospital’s, main entrance.   Nelson Mandela"s wife has thanked members of the public for supporting the ailing anti-apartheid icon. Graca Machel says thousands of messages of support have arrived by phone, letter, email and social media.   School children have also gathered outside the Johannesburg home of the former president to sing hymns.   Ms Machel says she is grateful for the love and generosity the family has received from across South Africa and around the world.   "So much love and generosity ... has come our way to lighten the burden of anxiety; bringing us love, comfort and hope," she said in a statement.   "We have felt the closeness of the world and the deepest meaning of strength and peace.   "Our gratitude is difficult to express. But the love and peace we feel give yet more life to the simple "thank you".   Mr Mandela, who turns 95 next month, has a history of lung problems dating back to his time at the windswept Robben Island prison camp near Cape Town.   He was released in 1990 after 27 years behind bars and went on to serve as president from 1994 to 1999.   Although Mr Mandela has long since left the political stage and has not been seen in public since 2010, he remains a towering symbol in South African public life.   http://www.nelsonmandela.org/ http://www.nelsonmandelachildrensfund.com http://www.sabc.co.za/mandela http://madiba.mg.co.za/   "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead." – Nelson Mandela speaking at the 90th birthday celebration of Walter Sisulu, Johannesburg, South Africa, 18 May 2002.   "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" - University of the Witwatersrand in 2003.   "A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favor. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens."   "The current world financial crisis also starkly reminds us that many of the concepts that guided our sense of how the world and its affairs are best ordered, have suddenly been shown to be wanting.”   "Gandhi rejects the Adam Smith notion of human nature as motivated by self-interest and brute needs and returns us to our spiritual dimension with its impulses for nonviolence, justice and equality. He exposes the fallacy of the claim that everyone can be rich and successful provided they work hard. He points to the millions who work themselves to the bone and still remain hungry."   "From his understanding of wealth and poverty came his understanding of labor and capital, which led him to the solution of trusteeship based on the belief that there is no private ownership of capital; it is given in trust for redistribution and equalization. Similarly, while recognizing differential aptitudes and talents, he holds that these are gifts from God to be used for the collective good."   “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”   “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings”. "Freedom is meaningless if people cannot put food in their stomachs, if they can have no shelter, if illiteracy and disease continue to dog them."   "Open the cooking pots and ask the men why there is so little food inside. When the rains come into your homes, place the hands of your men in the pools on the floor, and ask them, why? There is only one answer, and that answer is our common deprivation." (At Kings Park Stadium, Durban, South Africa, 1990)   "The very right to be human is denied every day to hundreds of millions of people as a result of poverty, the unavailability of basic necessities such as food, jobs, water and shelter, education, health care and a healthy environment." (At the 53rd UN General Assembly, New York, 1998)   "Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans, I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all. I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands." - 11 February 1990. Speaking on his release from Robben Island from the balcony of Cape Town city hall   "Since my release, I have become more convinced than ever that the real makers of history are the ordinary men and women of our country; their participation in every decision about the future is the only guarantee of true democracy and freedom." - 1990. The Struggle is My Life   “No single person can liberate a country. You can only liberate a country if you act as a collective.”   "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realised. But my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." - Defence statement during the Rivonia Trial, 1964"Our single most important challenge is therefore to help establish a social order in which the freedom of the individual will truly mean the freedom of the individual. We must construct that people-centred society of freedom in such a manner that it guarantees the political liberties and the human rights of all our citizens."   “Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression… Our endeavors must be about the liberation of the woman, the emancipation of the man and the liberty of the child.”   “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”   “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”   “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”   “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”   “For every woman and girl violently attacked, we reduce our humanity. For every woman forced into unprotected sex because men demand this, we destroy dignity and pride. Every woman who has to sell her life for sex we condemn to a lifetime in prison. For every moment we remain silent, we conspire against our women. For every woman infected by HIV, we destroy a generation.”   "The time is always right to do right."   “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”   http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco-courier/in-focus/nelson-mandela/ http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/fight-against-discrimination/ Visit the related web page
	States are accountable for investigating and preventing violence against women by Rashida Manjoo Special Rapporteur on violence against women   An independent United Nations human rights expert has stressed the need to hold States accountable not only for investigating acts of violence against women but also for failing to prevent such violence.   Despite numerous developments, violence against women remains “endemic” and the lack of accountability for violations experienced by women is the rule rather than the exception in many countries, Rashida Manjoo, the Special Rapporteur on Violence against women, said in a report presented to the Human Rights Council last week.   “States are required to hold accountable those who fail to protect and prevent, as well as those who perpetrate, violations of women’s rights,” she added.   She noted in a related new release that the responsibility of States is generally based on acts or omissions either committed by State actors or by those whose actions are attributable to the State. But a State may incur responsibility where there is a failure to exercise due diligence to prevent or respond to certain acts or omissions of non-State actors.   Human rights due diligence requires constant investigation and evaluation to assess whether universally accepted human rights principles apply in a State’s own behaviour and in a State’s monitoring of third party behaviour – be they individuals or an organization, she added.   Ms. Manjoo stressed that there was a need to create a framework for discussing the responsibility of States to act with due diligence, through separating that standard into two categories: individual due diligence which States owe to individual victims of violence, and systemic due diligence which requires States’ obligations to create a functioning system to eliminate violence against women.   The report says that States can fulfil the individual due diligence obligation of protection by providing a woman with services such as telephone hotlines, health care, counselling centres, legal assistance, shelters, restraining orders and financial aid. Education on protection measures and access to effective measures can also help fulfil protection and prevention obligations that an individual is owed by the State.   Due diligence can also include ensuring effective investigations, prosecution and sanctions; guaranteeing access to adequate and effective judicial remedies; and treating women victims and their relatives with respect and dignity throughout the legal process.   Other key factors are ensuring comprehensive reparations to victims and their relatives; identifying certain groups of women as being at particular risk; modifying the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women; and eliminating prejudices.   * WHO report highlights violence against women as a ‘global health problem of epidemic proportions’: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/violence_against_women_20130620/en/index.html Visit the related web page
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