Photo Credit: John Pannell. License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. People place flowers for Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square in London, England.[/caption]Nelson Mandela, the most famous activist against apartheid, passed away Thursday, December 5 at the age of 95. Mandela has fought through illnesses and been in the hospital multiple times in the last few years. On Sunday, people gathered in churches to pray for him and reflect on what he has done for the country. He will also be buried the following Sunday in Qunu in the Eastern Cape province of the country.
Mandela was the first black president of South Africa. He was elected in the first free elections the country ever had. He had just spent 27 years of his life in a prison for battling against apartheid. Apartheid was a time of extreme violence because of racial segregation. According to CNN, Mandela said, "As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison." When he became president, he said, "The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come.”
People all over the world are remembering the legacy Mandela left behind. In a summit that is happening in Paris, 53 leaders from Africa took a moment of silence when they found out about the death of Mandela. "We will always love Madiba for teaching us that it is possible to overcome hatred and anger in order to build a new nation and a new society," President Jacob Zuma told reporters Friday. Madiba is his affectionate clan name according to CNN.
Leaders from all over the world have been commenting on the death of Mandela. "He achieved more than could be expected of any man," President Barack Obama said after the announcement of Mandela's death. "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."
Mandela tried to spread awareness about AIDS since human rights were very important to him. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for negotiating an end to apartheid.
Mandela will be remembered for all his good works and the struggles he endured. "Wherever we are in the country, wherever we are in the world... let us reaffirm his vision of a society in which none is exploited, oppressed or dispossessed by another," said Zuma to NBC.
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