Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Sep 05, 2025

Nelson Mandela International Day 2021: History, Theme And Significance

Nelson Mandela International Day 2021: History, Theme And Significance

Nelson Mandela International Day: July 18, 2021, marks the 103rd birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela. former president of South Africa.

Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated every year on July 18 and is also known as Mandela Day. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was the former president of South Africa. He was the president from 1994 to 1999. Mr Mandela is widely regarded as a leader of social justice and a staunch advocate for democracy. He opposed the racist system of apartheid in South Africa and dedicated his life to establishing social equality for all. For his extensive work on social reform, Mr Mandela received over 250 honours and was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

History Of Nelson Mandela International Day


The United Nations officially declared July 18th as Nelson Mandela International day in 2009. It was first celebrated in 2010. The origin of the day came from Mr Mandela himself — he is believed to have announced that his birthday be celebrated as Mandela Day. The Nelson Mandela Foundation, on April 27, 2009, hosted a series of concerts to honour the legacy of Mr Mandela and celebrate his values through community service.

Significance Of Nelson Mandela International Day


The day is meant to remember the services of Mr Mandela and honour them through volunteer work, awareness and community service. Mr Mandela believed in equality and the need for people to come together and help each other rise above social class and colour. This day is viewed as an opportunity to renew the values left behind by Mr Mandela. On this day several concerts, art exhibits and fundraising volunteer events take place.

In 2014 the United Nations General Assembly introduced the Nelson Mandela prize to recognise the achievements of those who dedicated their lives to the service of humanity, much like he had in his lifetime.

Theme Of Nelson Mandela International Day 2021


Since its inception in 2010, Nelson Mandela International Day has been celebrated with a theme for that particular year. The theme for this year is “One Hand Can Feed Another”. The day is celebrated by organisations that work for violence against women, genocide and crimes. These organisations also come together to spread awareness on these prevalent issues. Last year's theme was, “Take Action, Inspire Change”. The theme highlighted the importance of governments and citizens working together to build a peaceful, sustainable and equitable world for all.

UN Secretary-General's message


In a video message on the occasion of Nelson Mandela International Day 2021, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said that the day was an “opportunity to reflect on the life and legacy of a legendary global advocate for dignity, equality, justice and human rights”.

“Madiba's calls for solidarity and an end to racism are relevant today, as social cohesion around the world is threatened by division. Societies are becoming more polarised, with hate speech on the rise and misinformation blurring the truth, questioning science and undermining democratic institutions,” said Guterres, adding that the pandemic “has made these ills more acute and rolled back years of progress in the global fight against poverty”.

Mr Guterres, then, went on to highlight the importance of human solidarity and unity, the seriousness of which has come to the fore more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, and said that these were “values championed and exemplified by Nelson Mandela in his lifelong fight for justice”.

Madiba is the name by which Mr Mandela is sometimes referred to as. According to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, it's the name of the clan of which Mr Mandela was a member.

Watch Mr Guterres message here:


Tweets to honour Mr Mandela






Two “critical” challenges this year


A blog post in Nelson Mandela Foundation states that the focus this year is “on two critical intersecting challenges being faced by South Africa and many other countries – food insecurity and cultures of lawlessness”.

The blog post goes on to add that before COVID-19 “one in four six-year-olds in South Africa suffered from stunting due to malnutrition”, and states that the pandemic “will surely worsen this devastating reality”.

As a result, the foundation will harness its ‘Each1Feed1' programme — a food distribution network started at the beginning of the lockdown to support families worst hit by food shortage.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×