Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Well known for all his political work and for being the first black president South Africa ever had, but also known for all he has done for the children and their education, Nelson Mandela is a truly deserving hero; he is an inspiration to many people, he never gave up and always tries to reach his dreams.

 "The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." The positive mentality, bravery and selfness of Nelson Mandela is clearly defined on his book "long walk to freedom" where he shows how his life was filled with struggles but he overcame all of them. Son of Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, Rolihlahla, Mandela became the first member of his family to attend a school where his English teacher gave him the name of "Nelson". He became involved in a Students' Representative Council boycott against university policies, and was told to leave Fort Hare and not return unless he accepted election to the SRC. Later in his life, while in prison, Mandela studied for a Bachelor of Laws from the University of London External Programme. After finishing his career he decided that was going to take his father's position as a privy councilor. Mandela became the oldest elected President of South Africa when he took office at the age of 75 in 1994. He decided not to stand for a second term and retired in 1999, to be succeeded by Thabo Mbeki. A hero must be persistent, positive and brave on his actions Anyone could do a good action and be called a hero but a hero is constantly doing good actions, looking out for other people always being positive about how things are going to turn out, having that bravery to confront their fears and be constantly persistent on what they're doing every day. Nelson Mandela posseses a persistent, brave and positive attitude. His attitude is what has got him to win 2 Nobel Peace Prizes for his work in transforming the government of South Africa from one that was oppressive to black (and Indian) people into a multi racial democracy, that is why he is a hero.

(http://indiascanner.com/birthday-wishes-nelson-mandela-51808 ())

 Nelson Mandela showed his persistence by defeating the racism in South Africa; throughout his political career he never gave up and always kept going forwards to reach his goal even when things weren't going his way. Mandela not only cared about his people he also cared about others, he persistently tried to make equal rights for everyone and end the discrimination. His courage and determination through decades of imprisonment galvanized not only South African blacks, but also concerned citizens on every continent.  (Nelson Mandela contemporary) The actions that Mandela had taken not only affected South Africa,  it also affected European countries. He spent over 27 years in prison accused of actions he didn't do. It created an internal revolution in South Africa that led to tragic murders of innocent people. In the meantime, as Mandela was trying to defeat racism in South Africa, World War 2 was going on. Unlike the other leaders, Mandela's focus wasn't in war it was on the internal problems of the nations and how people were being affected catastrophically, and all he was focused on was to stop their pain and end racism. Mandela had good knowledge of how to get to people and he applied it throughout this political career. In juxtaposing the character and consequences of second-generation knowledge among white and then black youth, the obvious question for higher education is what kinds of curricular and pedagogical interventions best Engage and disrupt such knowledge in the broader quest for nation building, reconciliation, and social justice in a deeply divided South Africa. (Mandela's children) The kids grew up with a different mentality, the education they were given wasn't the same; it was based mostly on racial differences between white and black people and it led to create a bigger ratio of  discrimination. Mandela has always been supportive about education and he constantly was checking on them, he wanted to change what had happened to the young kids, changed their education. His pedagogical interventions helped make it possible.

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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was brave throughout the whole period that the racial segregation last in South Africa and never gave up. As South Africa racist differences were about to change, things got tougher and Mandela had to be brave and confront them, even if that included going to jail or being attack by people. Racism wasn't the only problem there was, they also were going through a tough economic. The third problem with re-enactment is that in the absence of history and substance, the door is left wide open for demagogues. A smart youth leader can press all the buttons of nonlived experiences and mobilize the poor behind a set of remembered ideals completely out of touch with the reality that sustains a contemporary political economy. (Mandela's children) Actually South Africa is a very wealthy country but because of their leaders and the actions they had taken their economy wasn't so well, so Mandela being brave proposed a way to change it. People started doing vandalism because they needed to survive somehow as a result of this vandalism that was created people started to fight even more that was the moment when Mandela had to be brave and do something and he propose job opportunities for the welfare of everyone. The life for Mandela wasn't going to calm down easily because after the fact that he had to spend over 27 years in prison his wife left him a week after he got out.Released unconditionally from prison on February 11, 1990, by the newly elected president F. W. de Klerk, Mandela immediately assumed the leadership of the ANC's negotiations with the Nationalist Party government (Mandela nelson international).After being in prison for a long time a period of over 27 years Mandela was brave enough to take actions in the nationalist party government and participate in the plan to defeat the apartheid, and end the racial segregation. The ANC (African National Congress) is South Africa's governing political party; this association has created pacts other associations as well with the final goal to end the racial democracy. Anyone could say they're brave because they might have done something that would take some courage to do it but in my perspective nelson Mandela with his actions and with all he had been through, going to jail and losing his family, we must say he really is brave because a normal person wouldn't have done what he had done.

Nelson Mandela in Robben Island ( http://somewr.com/1610)

Nelson Mandela is a very positive person because no matter what was in his way he would always find a way to overcome it and get the best out of everything, even if it included being made fun of or getting insulted because of skin color. European countries had started talking about the controversy that was going on in South African. Politicians along with other groups created a re-enactment which pretty much was a way to stop them talking and give them a bad reputation.The second problem is that re-enactment can't revive the sheer moral basis for that dangerous struggle. That was not the age of bling, of indecent displays of personal wealth, of celebratory rituals by real criminals eating sushi off naked bodies, of ethnic attacks on black minorities, of assassinations of rival political leaders, and more--the kind of behaviors witnessed by the new black elite in South Africa. (Mandela's children) The re-enactment affected the black population more than it affected the white population, tons of crimes that involved assassinations, murderess and other kind of behavior that also led to the internal revolution. South Africa had to take actions about the re-enactment because it was really getting into the people and it was going to give the people a bad mentality about their leader so with a positive mentality they created a plan to re-group and create order in South Africa. After the peaceful way of protest had been barred, the ANC (African National Congress) made the decision to embark on a violent protest. While underground, Mandela founded a new group, Umkonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), a guerrilla organization that directed sabotage actions against government installations and other symbols of apartheid. (Nelson Mandela) Living underground was the only solution Mandela Had to survive the apartheid because they wanted to get rid of him by killing him. So while living underground he founded the Umkonto we Sizwe to combat the apartheid. While Mandela was underground there were tons of violent events that made the situation even more critical and unstable, which was when the politicians started taking care of the situation until it got calm. Throughout this re-enactment/revolution Mandela always had a positive mentality and kept it until the problem was solved it didn't matter to him that it took a long time because the only thing he really cared about was the welfare of the South African people.

Rolihlahla Mandela is truly hero because of the actions he had taken during the racial segregation, always kept the same mentality, the positive attitude, always brave to confront anything that could be a setback for him. He is also well known for his writing; while he was in Robben Island he secretly wrote his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom. Even the smallest person can change the world, you only need the self confidence, be positive, persistent and overall be brave to say what you think and not be quiet, don't let anyone put you down because of your skin color, sexual preferences or because you're from somewhere else. Always believe in yourself. That's how Mandela showed us his strength by believing in the people of South Africa and by saying what he was thinking and not letting his people down. Nelson Mandela inspires me and others not to give up and if something is not right to stand up for ourselves because everyone should be treated equally. As he once said, "I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself" We all dream to live in a peaceful world where there's no racism, homophobia and bullying. It also inspires me to reach my goals because it always seems impossible until it's done, and when you finish something you feel good about yourself. "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Means that if you give someone a good education and teach them how to act right, be positive, brave, persistent and selfless, they will always be a hero to someone just for the fact that they're acting the way everyone is suppose to act in order to change the world. That's why Nelson Mandela is a hero because he inspires us to act that way and not to give up.

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("Nelson Mandela." international) Encyclopedia of the social sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed.Vol 4.Detroit;Macmillan reference USA, 2008. 580-581.Gale virtual reference library.web.3  May 2012.

("Mandela's Children") Phi Delta Kappan 93.6 (2012): 74+. Academic OneFile . Web. 8 May 2012.

(Saunders,Christopher."Mandela,Nelson." World Book Advanced, World book, 2012. Web. 3 May 2012