Nelson Mandela

(From Reader’s Digest, April 2005)

Presented by: Dammar Singh Saud

https://www.slideshare.net/DammarSaud
 Introduction of Nelson Mandela
 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid
revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist, who served as President of
South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Wikipedia
 Born: July 18, 1918, Mvezo, South Africa
 Died: December 5, 2013, Houghton Estate, City of Johannesburg
Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
 Children: Makaziwe Mandela-Amuah, Zindziswa Mandela, More
 Spouse: Graça Machel (m. 1998–2013), Winnie Mandela (m. 1958–
1996), Evelyn Mase (m. 1944–1958)
 Central Idea of the text
This is an interview of the global statesman,
Nelson Mandela taken by the reporter of Reader’s
Digest. It describes how he became a great man
and his perspectives about political system,
current issues, role of parents, struggle of
underdogs and the terminal diseases.
 Short Biography of Nelson Mandela
 A democratic leader of South Africa and global statesman
 Born in 1918 A.D. as a member of Thembu Tribe
 Madiba, his clan name and an affectionate nickname
 Black Englishman, a black South African with the quality of
English (educated in British modelled school)
 Became lawyer and joined the African National Congress
(ANC) to end the apartheid system of racially based division
and discrimination through peaceful means
 Got life long imprisonment for his protest in 1962
 Short Biography of Nelson Mandela
 “Free Mandela” became a rallying cry throughout the world
which made him free after 27 years in 1990 A.D.
 Became the president of South Africa through the presidential
election for five years
 Led the nation to peaceful transition from white minority rule
to multiracial democracy
 Served the nation through the Mandela/Rhodes Foundation in
his later life
 Died in 2013 A.D.
 Major points of the text
 Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to
change the world.
 Courage is 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.
 It always seems impossible until it's done.
 The significance of the name Madiba is that it is the sign of
closeness and great affection of the South Africans towards him.
 He chose the path of reconciliation because he wanted to create
peace and stability for the progress of the society.
 Major points of the text
 Isolation from other people due to the terminal disease like
AIDS kills people far more than the disease itself.
 The greatest problem the world is facing now are: poverty
and lack of education. So, education should be for all
children.
 Stories in Reader’s Digest taught him to enjoy life and
encouraged him to face the challenges.
 His objection of the US and UK’s military intervention in
Iraq that the governments of US and UK are taking action in
Iraq without the permission of UNO.
 Major points of the text
 It is the responsibility of parents to give children education
and to explain the role they have to play for their society and
country.
 Religions are good for society but the competition between
various religious groups is not good. So, every human being
must respect other religion because religions are needed for
humanity.
 The widely held belief that there is a superior being as god
who supervised our affairs is good for humanity.
 To remove the weakness of an organization, the
organization should concentrate on attaining its goals.
 Major points of the text
 Being close to HIV patients encourages them to fight the disease by
making them psychologically more confident.
 Children are very frank and true hearted who can teach us our
mistakes for correcting them.
 We must strengthen the principle of multilateralism and the role of
UN for better world.
 A decision that you take depends on the actual circumstances
facing you.
 He believes on the capacity of human beings –of finding rational
solutions to situation of conflict.
 Major points of the text
 It is not good for any democracy when its leaders remain in
power so long because if the same leaders remain in power
for a long time, they are likely to misuse their power for their
own benefits and lose people’s faith upon them.
 There are so many men and women who hold no distinctive
positions but whose contribution towards the development
of the society has been enormous.
 He would like to be ordinary human being with virtues and
vices.
 Conclusion
We are the master of our fate. Like Mandela, Every
human can contribute for the betterment of the
society and the world, if we have positive attitudes and
right principles of finding rational solution to
situations of crisis and conflict.
Any Queries???

Thank you.