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When I Came To Johannesburg From The Countryside, I Knew Nobody, But Many Strangers Were Very Kind To Me. I Then Was Dragged Into Politics, And Then, Subsequently, I Became A Lawyer.

-Nelson Mandela

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When I Came To

Nelson Mandela

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When I Came To Johannesburg From The Countryside, I Knew Nobody, But Many Strangers Were Very Kind To Me. I Then Was Dragged Into Politics, And Then, Subsequently, I Became A Lawyer.

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We Can't Fight Aids Unless We Do Much More To Fight Tb As Well.

Let Us Remind Ourselves That It Is Ordinary People - Men And Women, Boys And Girls - That Make The World A Special Place

I Will Use The Rest Of My Life To Help The Poor Overcome The Problems Confronting Them - Poverty Is The Greatest Challenge Facing Humanity. That Is Why I Build Schools; I Want To Free People From Poverty And Illiteracy.

Nonviolence Is A Good Policy When The Conditions Permit.

It Is Also The Fate Of Leadership To Be Misunderstood. It Is A Grave Error For Any Leader To Be Oversensitive In The Face Of Criticism, To Conduct Discussions As If He Or She Is A Schoolmaster Talking To Less Informed And Inexperienced Learners.

Ethiopia Always Has A Special Place In My Imagination And The Prospect Of Visiting Ethiopia Attracted Me More Strongly Than A Trip To France, England, And America Combined. I Felt I Would Be Visiting My Own Genesis, Unearthing The Roots Of What Made Me An African.

England And America

Before I Went To Jail, I Was Active In Politics As A Member Of South Africa's Leading Organization - And I Was Generally Busy From 7 A.m. Until Midnight. I Never Had Time To Sit And Think.

You Encourage People By Seeing The Good In Them.

A Bright Future Beckons. The Onus Is On Us, Through Hard Work, Honesty And Integrity, To Reach For The Stars.

Hope Is A Powerful Weapon, And (one) No One Power On Earth Can Deprive You Of.

There Was Much In Such A Society That Was Primitive And Insecure And It Certainly Could Never Measure Up To The Demands Of The Present Epoch. But In Such A Society Are Contained The Seeds Of Revolutionary Democracy In Which None Will Be Held In Slavery.

Running Taught Me Valuable Lessons. In Cross-country Competition, Training Counted More Than Intrinsic Ability, And I Could Compensate For A Lack Of Natural Aptitude With Diligence And Discipline. I Applied This In Everything I Did.

At The Meeting I Argued That The State Had Given Us No Alternative To Violence. I Said It Was Wrong And Immoral To Subject Our People To Armed Attacks By The State Without Offering Them Some Kind Of Alternative. I Mentioned Again That People On Their Own Had Taken Up Arms. Violence Would Begin Whether We Initiated It Or Not. Would It Not Be Better To Guide This Violence Ourselves, According To Principles Where We Saved Lives By Attacking Symbols Of Oppression, And Not People? If We Did Not Take The Lead Now, I Said, We Would Soon Be Latecomers And Followers To A Movement We Did Not Control.

No Single Person Can Liberate A Country. You Can Only Liberate A Country If You Act As A Collective.

I Like Friends Who Have Independent Minds Because They Tend To Make You See Problems From All Angles.

The History Of Struggle Is Rich With Stories Of Heroes And Heroines - Some Of Them Leaders, Some Of Them Followers, All Of Them Deserve To Be Remembered.

Although I Am A Gregarious Person, I Love Solitude Even More.

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.

Overcoming Poverty Is Not A Gesture Of Charity. It Is An Act Of Justice.

Hunger And Poverty

No Country Can Really Develop Unless Its Citizens Are Educated.

Even Behind Prison Walls I Can See The Heavy Clouds And The Blue Sky Over The Horizon

Teach The Children That Africans Are Not One Iota Inferior To Europeans.

As The Years Progress One Increasingly Realises The Importance Of Friendship And Human Solidarity. And If A 90-year-old May Offer Some Unsolicited Advice On This Occasion, It Would Be That You, Irrespective Of Your Age, Should Place Human Solidarity, The Concern For The Other, At The Centre Of The Values By Which You Live.

Why Is It That In This Courtroom I Face A White Magistrate, Am Confronted By A White Prosecutor And Escorted Into The Dock By A White Orderly? Can Anyone Honestly And Seriously Suggest That In This Type Of Atmosphere The Scales Of Justice Are Evenly Balanced?

The Time Comes In The Life Of Any Nation When There Remain Only Two Choices - Submit Or Fight. That Time Has Now Come To South Africa. We Shall Not Submit And We Have No Choice But To Hit Back By All Means In Our Power In Defence Of Our People, Our Future, And Our Freedom

I Could Not Imagine That The Future I Was Walking Toward Could Compare In Any Way To The Past That I Was Leaving Behind.

When We Can Sit In The Face Of Insanity Or Dislikes And Be Free From The Need To Make It Different, Then We Are Free.

We Owe Our Children – The Most Vulnerable Citizens In Any Society – A Life Free From Violence And Fear.

Let It Never Be Said By Future Generations That Indifference, Cynicism Or Selfishness Made Us Fail To Live Up To The Ideals Of Humanism Which The Nobel Peace Prize Encapsulates. Let The Strivings Of Us All, Prove Martin Luther King Jr. To Have Been Correct, When He Said That Humanity Can No Longer Be Tragically Bound To The Starless Midnight Of Racism And War.

This Must Be A World Of Democracy And Respect For Human Rights, A World Freed From The Horrors Of Poverty, Hunger, Deprivation And Ignorance, Relieved Of The Threat And The Scourge Of Civil Wars And External Aggression And Unburdened Of The Great Tragedy Of Millions Forced To Become Refugees.

We Can't Win A War, But We Can Win An Election.

Sport Has The Power To Overcome Old Divisions And Create The Bond Of Common Aspirations

Educating All Of Our Children Must Be One Of Our Most Urgent Priorities. We All Know That Education, More Than Anything Else, Improves Our Chances Of Building Better Lives.

Let Us Not Be Tempted By Those Who Try To Find The Unique Qualities In A Particular Group. In This Case, Among South Africa Indigenous People, It Reflected What Has Been Evidenced Throughout The World.

When I Walked Out Of Prison, That Was My Mission, To Liberate The Oppressed And The Oppressor Both.

Long Walk To Freedom

Everyone Can Rise Above Their Circumstances And Achieve Success If They Are Dedicated To And Passionate About What They Do.

We Must Appreciate That All Over The World, Right Down The Centuries, There Have Been Great Religions That Have Encouraged The Idea Of Giving - Of Fighting Poverty And Of Promoting The Equality Of Human Beings - Whatever Their Background, Whatever Their Political Beliefs.

It Is Important To Not Be Hostile To What A Greater Part Of Society Has Embraced, Whether As Christians, Hindus Or Muslims. It Is Important To Respect That Because Whether You Believe Or Not In The Existence Of A Superior Being, Humanity Does Believe In That.

Adversity Cleanses The Lethargies Of Man

As Long As Outmoded Ways Of Thinking Prevent Women From Making A Meaningful Contribution To Society, Progress Will Be Slow. As Long As The Nation Refuses To Acknowledge The Equal Role Of More Than Half Of Itself, It Is Doomed To Failure.

In Order To Build Our Nation, We Must All Exceed Our Own Expectations.

I Learned To Have The Patience To Listen When People Put Forward Their Views, Even If I Think Those Views Are Wrong. You Can't Reach A Just Decision In A Dispute Unless You Listen To Both Sides.

For A Revolution Is Not Just A Question Of Pulling A Trigger; Its Purpose Is To Create A Fair Just Society

There Are Leaders Who Know That However Furious The Debate, There Are Good Men And Women In All Population Groups - Amongst Blacks, Amongst Whites, And Amongst Afrikaans And English Speaking People.

There Is Nothing Like Returning To A Place That Remains Unchanged To Find The Ways In Which You Yourself Have Altered.

I Understand That The Legal Position Is Under Review In South Africa And That There Will Soon Be A Broader Set Of Organizations To Which Donors Can Give And Claim Tax Deductions.

Sometimes, I Feel Like One Who Is On The Sidelines, Who Has Missed Life Itself.

The Best Weapon Is To Sit Down And Talk.

Let The Efforts Of Us All, Prove That He [martin Luther King] Was Not A Mere Dreamer When He Spoke Of The Beauty Of Genuine Brotherhood And Peace Being More Precious Than Diamonds Or Silver Or Gold

We Have Introduced Equity Into Our Life, Including A Uniform Educational System. We Have Also Introduced A Bill Of Rights, Which Is Not Just A Piece Of Paper, But A Living Document Because We Have Created Structures That Are Totally Independent Of The Government And That Can Overrule The Government, Even The President.

Politics Can Be Strengthened By Music, But Music Has A Potency That Defies Politics.

No Country Can Really Develop Unless Its Citizens Are Educated. Any Nation That Is Progressive Is Led By People Who Have Had The Privilege Of Studying.

Regarding African Education In This Country, There Was A Time When The Government Took No Interest Whatsoever In African Education. It Was The Churches, That Part Of Civil Society, Which Bought Land, Built Schools, And Employed And Paid Teachers. People Like Myself, Right From Grade Eight Up To University, I Was In Missionary Schools.

Tread Softly, Brathe Peacefully, Laugh Hysterically.

Let Freedom Reign. The Sun Never Set On So Glorious A Human Achievement.

Greece Is The Mother Of Democracy And South Africa Is Its Youngest Daughter

In All Disputes, A Point Is Arrived At Where No Party, No Matter How Right Or Wrong It Might Have Been At The Start Of That Dispute, Will Any Longer Be Totally In The Right Or Totally In The Wrong. Such A Point I Believe, Has Been Reached In This Debate... Let Us Not Equivocate. A Tragedy Of Unprecedented Proportions Is Unfolding In Africa.

I Am Sure That If Somebody Is Giving A Sum To Charity, He Or She Should Be Encouraged To Do So By The Authorities Because The Spirit In Which We Encourage People To Give Has Permeated Our Society.

I Can't Help It If The Ladies Take Note Of Me; I Am Not Going To Protest.

The Wounds That Cannot Be Seen Are More Painful Than Those That Can Be Treated By A Doctor.

Home Is Home Even For Those Who Aspire To Serve Wider Interests And Who Have Established Their Home Of Choice In Distant Regions.

Let Your Greatness Bloom.

These Numbers Are Staggering, In Fact Incomprehensible. By All Accounts, We Are Dealing With The Greatest Health Crisis In Human History.

Trade Justice For The Developing World And For This Generation Is A Truly Significant Way For The Developed Countries To Show Commitment To Bringing About An End To Global Poverty.

I Was Able To Change My Life By Knowing That If Somebody Does Something Good For You, You Have To Respond.

Our Freedom Is Also Incomplete, Dear Compatriots, As Long As We Are Denied Our Security By Criminals Who Prey On Our Communities, Who Rob Our Businesses And Undermine Our Economy, Who Ply Their Destructive Trade In Drugs In Our Schools, And Who Do Violence Against Our Women And Children.

Freedom Alone Is Not Enough Without Light To Read At Night, Without Time Or Access To Water To Irrigate Your Farm, Without The Ability To Catch Fish To Feed Your Family.

A Society That Does Not Value Its Older People Denies Its Roots And Endangers Its Future. Let Us Strive To Enhance Their Capacity To Support Themselves For As Long As Possible And, When They Cannot Do So Anymore, To Care For Them.

In Many Respects, People On The Outside Suffered More Than Those Of Us In Jail. In Prison, We Ate Three Times A Day, We Had Clothing, We Had Free Medical Services, And We Could Sleep For 12 Hours.

I Am Not The Only One Who Did Not Want Revenge. Almost All My Colleagues In Prison Did Not Want Revenge, Because There Is No Time To Do Anything Else Except To Try And Save Your People.

My Time In Prison Only Deepened My Resolve Against Apartheid. Even While I Was In Prison, I Fought Against It, Teaching My Cellmates About White Supremacy And How To Fight Against It.

The Truth Is That We Are Not Yet Free; We Have Merely Achieved The Freedom To Be Free, The Right Not To Be Oppressed. We Have Not Taken The Final Step Of Our Journey, But The First Step On A Longer And Even More Difficult Road. 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. The True Test Of Our Devotion To Freedom Is Just Beginning.

There Is A Universal Respect And Even Admiration For Those Who Are Humble And Simple By Nature, And Who Have Absolute Confidence In All Human Beings Irrespective Of Their Social Status.

A Movement Without Vision Would Be A Movement Without Moral Foundation.

Other People Have Qualities That May Be Better Than Your Own. Let Them Express Them.

It Is Through Education That The Daughter Of A Peasant Can Become A Doctor.

When The History Of Our Times Is Written, Will We Be Remembered As The Generation That Turned Our Backs In A Moment Of Global Crisis Or Will It Be Recorded That We Did The Right Thing?

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.

When The Water Starts Boiling It Is Foolish To Turn Off The Heat.

The Message Of Reconciliation, Of Nation-building, Of Granting Amnesty, Indemnity, Has Struck A Powerful, Favorable Chord. And People Can Understand That We're Here Not For Purposes Of Retribution But To Forget The Past And To Build Our Country.

Part Of Building A New Nation Means Building A Spirit Of Tolerance, Love And Respect Amongst The People Of This Country.

Courage Is Not The Absence Of Fear — It S Inspiring Others To Move Beyond It.

The Private Sector Granted Bursaries [scholarships] For The Children Of Their Workers. Some Of Them Built Homes For Their Workers. They Had In-service Training, Which Improved The Skills Of Their Workers. So That Spirit Was There. All We Did Was Merely Exploit It.

It Is In Your Hands To Create A Better World For All Who Live In It.

Death Is Something Inevitable. When A Man Has Done What He Considers To Be His Duty To His People And His Country, He Can Rest In Peace. I Believe I Have Made That Effort And That Is, Therefore, Why I Will Sleep For The Eternity.

The Past Is A Rich Resource On Which We Can Draw In Order To Make Decisions For The Future, But It Does Not Dictate Our Choices. We Should Look Back At The Past And Select What Is Good, And Leave Behind What Is Bad.

I Do Not Deny That I Planned Sabotage. I Did Not Plan It In A Spirit Of Recklessness Nor Because I Have Any Love Of Violence. I Planned It As A Result Of A Calm And Sober Assessment Of The Political Situation That Had Arisen After Many Years Of Tyranny, Exploitation And Oppression Of My People By The Whites.

There Is No Passion To Be Found Playing Small - In Settling For A Life That Is Less Than The One You Are Capable Of Living.

The Commonwealth Makes The World Safe For Diversity

There Is Little Favorable To Be Said About Poverty, But It Was Often An Incubator Of True Friendship.

Disabled Children Are Equally Entitled To An Exciting And Brilliant Future.

One Of The Sad Realities Today Is That Very Few People, Especially Young People, Read Books. Unless We Can Find Imaginative Ways Of Addressing This Reality, Future Generations Are In Danger Of Losing Their History.

I Hate Race Discrimination Most Intensely And In All Its Manifestations. I Have Fought It All During My Life; I Fight It Now, And Will Do So Until The End Of My Days.

There Is No Easy Walk To Freedom Anywhere.

Shadow Of Death

There Is Nobody More Dangerous Than One Who Has Been Humiliated, Even When You Humiliate Him Rightly.

The Challenge For Each One Of You Is To Take Up These Ideals Of Tolerance And Respect For Others And Put Them To Practical Use In Your Schools, Your Communities And Throughout Your Lives.

History Will Surely Judge Us Harshly If We Do Not Respond With All The Energy And Resources That We Can Bring To Bear In The Fight Against Hiv/aids

Abject Poverty Is Demeaning, Is An Assault On The Dignity Of Those That Suffer It. In The End It Demeans Us All. It Makes The Freedom Of All Of Us Less Meaningful.

I Am Fundamentally An Optimist.

After Climbing A Great Hill, One Only Finds That There Are Many More Hills To Climb. I Can Rest Only For A Moment, For With Freedom Come Responsibilities, And I Dare Not Linger, For My Long Walk Is Not Yet Ended.

Only 50 Years Ago Persons With Intellectual Disabilities Were Scorned, Isolated And Neglected. Today, They Are Able To Attend School, Become Employed And Assimilate Into Their Local Community.

We Now Undertake That We Cannot Rest While Millions Of Our People Suffer The Pain And Indignity Of Poverty In All Its Forms.

It Is Not Our Diversity Which Divides Us; It Is Not Our Ethnicity, Or Religion Or Culture That Divides Us. Since We Have Achieved Our Freedom, There Can Only Be One Division Amongst Us: Between Those Who Cherish Democracy And Those Who Do Not.

As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others.

Together As A Nation, We Have The Obligation To Put Sunshine Into The Hearts Of Our Little Ones. They Are Our Precious Possessions. They Deserve What Happiness Life Can Offer.

When You Are Behind Bars With No Hope Of Release, You Need To Find Strength Wherever You Can. Personally, I Found Strength In Michael Jackson.

Finding Strength

Education Is The Great Engine Of Personal Development. It Is Through Education That The Daughter Of A Peasant Can Become A Doctor, That The Son Of A Mineworker Can Become The Head Of The Mine, That A Child Of Farm Workers Can Become The President Of A Great Nation. It Is What We Make Out Of What We Have, Not What We Are Given, That Separates One Person From Another.

Although Verwoerd Thought Africans Were Lower Than Animals, His Death Did Not Yield Us Any Pleasure. Political Assassination Is Not Something I Or The Anc Ever Supported. It Is A Primitive Way Of Contending With An Opponent

To The Youth Of Today, I Also Have A Wish To Make: Be The Scriptwriters Of Your Destiny And Feature Yourselves As Stars That Showed The Way Towards A Brighter Future.

Quitting Is Leading Too.

It's Not Our Weaknesses That Frighten Us. It's Our Strengths.

Our Rich And Varied Cultural Heritage Has A Profound Power To Help Build Our Nation

We Signal That Good Can Be Achieved Amongst Human Beings Who Are Prepared To Trust, Prepared To Believe In The Goodness Of People.

Information Is A Basic Human Right And The Fundamental Foundation For The Formation Of Democratic Institutions.

Our Motto Should Be: Let Us Make Peace So That We Can Concentrate On The Really Important Work That Needs To Be Done. That Is, Alleviating The Plight Of The Poor And The Defenceless, For As Long As Most Of Humanity Feels The Pain Of Poverty We All Remain Prisoners.

I Have Always Admired Men And Women Who Used Their Talents To Serve The Community, And Who Were Highly Respected And Admired For Their Efforts And Sacrifices, Even Though They Held No Office Whatsoever In Government Or Society.

There Is Little Favorable To Be Said About Poverty, But It Was Often An Incubator Of True Friendship. Many People Will Appear To Befriend You When You Are Wealthy, But Precious Few Will Do The Same When You Are Poor. If Wealth Is A Magnet, Poverty Is A Kind Of Repellent. Yet, Poverty Often Brings Out The True Generosity In Others.

I Want To Sleep For Eternity With A Broad Smile On My Face. I Want Those Who Remain Behind To Say This Man Has Done His Duty.

The Real Meaning Of The Spoken Word Has To Be Demonstrated By Practical Deeds

There Are Many People In South Africa Who Are Rich And Who Can Share Those Riches With Those Not So Fortunate Who Have Not Been Able To Conquer Poverty.

There Is A Constant Struggle Between Good An Evil In The World. It Is Up To Good People To Choose The Right Side

Do Not Judge Me By My Success, Judge Me By How Many Times I Fell Down And Got Back Up Again.

Aids Is No Longer Just A Disease, It Is A Human Rights Issue.

My Family Is Very Large. 42 Million.

I Was Made, By The Law, A Criminal, Not Because Of What I Had Done, But Because Of What I Stood For, Because Of What I Thought, Because Of My Conscience... If I Had My Time Over I Would Do The Same Again. So Would Any Man Who Dares Call Himself A Man.

Force Is The Only Language The Imperialists Can Hear, And No Country Became Free Without Some Sort Of Violence.

Sport Can Create Hope, Where Once There Was Only Despair. It Is More Powerful Than Governments In Breaking Down Racial Barriers.

Che Guevara's Life Is An Inspiration For Every Human Being Who Loves Freedom. We Will Always Honor His Memory.

When Those In Power Deny You Of Freedom The Only Path To Freedom Is Power

Nothing Is Black Or White.

Thinking Is One Of The Most Important Weapons In Dealing With Problems

In Its Proper Meaning Equality Before The Law Means The Right To Participate In The Making Of The Laws By Which One Is Governed, A Constitution Which Guarantees Democratic Rights To All Sections Of The Population, The Right To Approach The Court For Protection Or Relief In The Case Of The Violation Of Rights Guaranteed In The Constitution, And The Right To Take Part In The Administration Of Justice As Judges, Magistrates, Attorneys-general, Law Advisers And Similar Positions.

That Was One Of The Things That Worried Me – To Be Raised To The Position Of A Semi-god – Because Then You Are No Longer A Human Being. I Wanted To Be Known As Mandela, A Man With Weaknesses, Some Of Which Are Fundamental, And A Man Who Is Committed, But Never The Less, Sometimes He Fails To Live Up To Expectations.

Video Screenshot Facts And Figures From Nelson Mandela's Life, Set To The Trailer From 'mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.' "man's Goodness Is A Flame That Can Be Hidden But Never Extinguished."

If You Don't Allow People To Contribute, To Offer Their Point Of View, Or To Criticize What Has Been Put Before Them, Then They Can Never Like You. And You Can Never Build That Instrument Of Collective Leadership.

Let Us Give Publicity To Hiv/aids And Not Hide It, Because [that Is] The Only Way To Make It Appear Like A Normal Illness

Our March To Freedom Is Irreversible. We Must Not Allow Fear To Stand In Our Way. Universal Suffrage On A Common Voters' Roll In A United, Democratic And Non-racial South Africa Is The Only Way To Peace And Racial Harmony.

I Went As An Observer, Not A Participant, For I Do Not Think That I Ever Spoke. I Wanted To Understand The Issues Under Discussion, Evaluate The Arguments, See The Calibre Of The Men Involved.

The First Election In Which All South Africans Took Part Was In April, 1994. There Were Long Queues [lines] Of Employers And Employees, Black And White. In The Sense Of Africans, Coloreds And Indians - When I Talk About Blacks, I Mean Those Three. Blacks And Whites Mingled To Vote Without Any Hitches. Many People Would Have Expected A Great Deal Of Tension, Clashes And Violence, But It Did Not Occur.

Black And White

Our Efforts To Counter Hatred, Intolerance, And Indifference Must Continue Simultaneously At Individual And Structural Levels. We Must Try To Influence For Good The Minds And Hearts Of Individual People Through Dialogue And Confidence Building. These Efforts Must Be Reinforced By Our Efforts To Create Just Structures In Society To Support The Ongoing Work Of Negotiations In The Human Community. Only Then Will We Have A Chance To Negate The Terrible Consequences Of The Tremendous Conflicts Facing Humankind Today.

Great Anger And Violence Can Never Build A Nation.

Young People Are Capable, When Aroused, Of Bringing Down The Towers Of Oppression And Raising The Banners Of Freedom.

We Tried In Our Simple Way To Lead Our Life In A Manner That May Make A Difference To Those Of Others.

The Calm And Tolerant Atmosphere That Prevailed During The Elections Depicts The Type Of South Africa We Can Build. It Set The Tone For The Future. We Might Have Our Differences, But We Are One People With A Common Destiny In Our Rich Variety Of Culture, Race And Tradition.

Overcoming Poverty Is Not A Gesture Of Charity. It Is An Act Of Justice. It Is The Protection Of A Fundamental Human Right, The Right To Dignity And A Decent Life . . .

The Titanic Effort That Has Brought Liberation To South Africa, And Ensured The Total Liberation Of Africa, Constitutes An Act Of Redemption For The Black People Of The World.

You Mustn't Compromise Your Principles, But You Mustn't Humiliate The Opposition. No One Is More Dangerous Than One Who Is Humiliated.

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.

My Son Has Died Of Aids.

If You Want To Make Peace With Your Enemy, You Have To Work With Your Enemy. Then He Becomes Your Partner.

There Were Many Dark Moments When My Faith In Humanity Was Sorely Tested.

I Never Think Of The Time I Have Lost. I Just Carry Out A Programme Because It's There. It's Mapped Out For Me.

I Greet You All In The Name Of Peace, Democracy And Freedom For All.

I Have Always Regarded Myself, In The First Place, As An African Patriot.

Appearances Matter — And Remember To Smile.

I Dream Of An Africa Which Is In Peace With Itself.

I Had No Epiphany, No Singular Revelation, No Moment Of Truth, But A Steady Accumulation Of A Thousand Slights, A Thousand Indignities And A Thousand Unremembered Moments Produced In Me An Anger, A Rebelliousness, A Desire To Fight The System That Imprisoned My People. There Was No Particular Day On Which I Said, Henceforth I Will Devote Myself To The Liberation Of My People; Instead, I Simply Found Myself Doing So, And Could Not Do Otherwise.

There Will Be Life After Mandela. On My Last Day I Want To Know That Those Who Remain Behind Will Say: 'the Man Who Lies Here Has Done His Duty For His Country And His People.'

Part Of Being Optimistic Is Keeping One's Head Pointed Toward The Sun, One's Feet Moving Forward.

Success In Politics Demands That You Must Take Your People Into Confidence About Your Views And State Them Very Clearly, Very Politely, Very Calmly, But Nevertheless, State Them Openly.

Safety And Security Don't Just Happen, They Are The Result Of Collective Consensus And Public Investment. We Owe Our Children, The Most Vulnerable Citizens In Our Society, A Life Free Of Violence And Fear.

There Are So Many Men And Women Who Hold No Distinctive Positions But Whose Contribution Towards The Development Of Society Has Been Enormous.

There Is No Future Without Forgiveness

Sport Can Create Hope, Where Once There Was Only Despair

The Question Of Crime Is One Of Concern To Everybody. But The Position Is That The Security Forces In Our Country For The Last Four Decades Did Not Concentrate On Suppressing Crime. Their Main Objective Was To Suppress, To Crush Political Activity. And In The Process, Crime Grew To Unacceptable Proportions. And Criminals Were Able To Form Powerful Syndicates, And They Virtually Took Over The Control Of The Life Of The Community In Certain Areas.

There Is Nothing More Dangerous Than A Humiliated Man.

When I Came To Johannesburg From The Countryside, I Knew Nobody, But Many Strangers Were Very Kind To Me. I Then Was Dragged Into Politics, And Then, Subsequently, I Became A Lawyer.

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.

We Cannot Blame Other People For Our Troubles. We Are Not Victims Of The Influx Of Foreign People Into South Africa. We Must Remember That It Was Mainly Due To The Aggressive And Hostile Policies Of The Apartheid Regime That The Economic Development Of Our Neighbours Was Undermined.

History And The Generations To Come Will Judge Our Leaders By The Decisions They Make In The Coming Weeks.

If You Want To Change The World, Help The Women.

Apartheid Is A Crime Against Humanity. Israel Has Deprived Millions Of Palestinians Of Their Liberty And Property. It Has Perpetuated A System Of Gross Racial Discrimination And Inequality. It Has Systematically Incarcerated And Tortured Thousands Of Palestinians, Contrary To The Rules Of International Law. It Has, In Particular, Waged A War Against A Civilian Population, In Particular Children.

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.

I Came To Accept That I Have No Right Whatsoever To Judge Others In Terms Of My Own Customs, However Much I May Be Proud Of Such Customs.

There Is No Such Thing As Part Freedom.

The Curious Beauty Of African Music Is That It Uplifts Even As It Tells A Sad Tale. You May Be Poor, You May Have Only A Ramshackle House, You May Have Lost Your Job, But That Song Gives You Hope.

One Cannot Be Prepared For Something While Secretly Believing It Will Not Happen.

Man's Goodness Is A Flame That Can Be Hidden But Never Extinguished

It Is Not The Kings And Generals That Make History, But The Masses Of The People.

Let There Be Work, Bread, Water And Salt For All.

South Africa Is The Most Beautiful Place On Earth. Admittedly, I Am Biased But When You Combine The Natural Beauty... And The Fact That The Region Is A Haven For Africa's Most Splendid Wildlife... Then I Think That We Have Been Blessed With A Truly Wonderful Land.

Prison Life, Fortunately, I Spent A Lot Of Years, About 18 Years With Other Prisoners, And, As I Say, They Enriched Your Soul.

Who Could Doubt That Sport Is A Crucial Window For The Propagation Of Fair Play And Justice? After All, Fair Play Is A Value That Is Essential To Sport.

It Is Time For The Next Generations To Continue Our Struggle Against Social Injustice And For The Rights Of Humanity. It Is In Your Hands.

Take It Upon Yourself Where You Live To Make People Around You Joyful And Full Of Hope.

Without Education, Your Children Can Never Really Meet The Challenges They Will Face. So It's Very Important To Give Children Education And Explain That They Should Play A Role For Their Country.

I Admire Young People Who Are Concerned With The Affairs Of Their Community And Nation Perhaps Because I Also Became Involved In Struggle Whist I Was Still At School.

The Laws That Stopped Blacks From Voting Were The Worst, Because They Prevented Blacks From Voting Someone Into Parliament Who Could Change The Other Laws. Even Though The Blacks Were The Majority Of The Population, They Were Still Not Getting A Say.

I Really Wanted To Retire And Rest And Spend More Time With My Children, My Grandchildren And Of Course With My Wife.

The Path Of Those Who Preach Love, And Not Hatred, Is Not Easy. They Often Have To Wear A Crown Of Thorns.

Extremists On All Sides Thrive, Fed By The Blood Lust Of Centuries Gone By.

I Say To All Those Leaders, Do Not Look The Other Way. Do Not Hesitate... It Is Within Your Power To Avoid A Genocide Of Humanity.

One Of The Things I Learned When I Was Negotiating Was That Until I Changed Myself, I Could Not Change Others.

If The Anc Does To You What The Apartheid Government Did To You, Then You Must Do To The Anc What You Did To The Apartheid Government.

Those Who Conduct Themselves With Morality, Integrity And Consistency Need Not Fear The Forces Of Inhumanity And Cruelty.

I Hate Racial Discrimination Most Intensely And All Its Manifestations. I Have Fought All My Life; I Fight Now, And Will Do So Until The End Of My Days. Even Although I Now Happen To Be Tried By One, Whose Opinion I Hold In High Esteem, I Detest Most Violently The Set-up That Surrounds Me Here. It Makes Me Feel That I Am A Black Man In A White Man's Court. This Should Not Be I Should Feel Perfectly At Ease And At Home With The Assurance That I Am Being Tried By A Fellow South African, Who Does Not Regard Me As An Inferior, Entitled To A Special Type Of Justice.

Music Is A Great Blessing. It Has The Power To Elevate And Liberate Us. It Sets People Free To Dream. It Can Unite Us To Sing With One Voice. Such Is The Value Of Music.

The Youth Of Today Are The Leaders Of Tomorrow.

Leaders Of Tomorrow

A Leader. . .is Like A Shepherd. He Stays Behind The Flock, Letting The Most Nimble Go Out Ahead, Whereupon The Others Follow, Not Realizing That All Along They Are Being Directed From Behind.

I Am Fundamentally An Optimist. Whether That Comes From Nature Or Nurture, I Cannot Say. Part Of Being Optimistic Is Keeping One's Head Pointed Toward The Sun, One's Feet Moving Forward. There Were Many Dark Moments When My Faith In Humanity Was Sorely Tested, But I Would Not And Could Not Give Myself Up To Despair. That Way Lays Defeat And Death.

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Leon Battista Alberti

Christopher Reeve

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