Mandela (Nelson)

Figure in the fight against exclusion / South Africa visit February 2008

It was when she met Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg that Carla Bruni-Sarkozy declared that she wished to begin humanitarian work. For a whole generation, Nelson Mandela was synonymous with the first protests to the songs of Johnny Clegg (Asimbonanga, 1985). Free Nelson Mandela was the rallying cry. After twenty-six years in prison, the most famous opponent of apartheid was freed in 1990. With F.W. de Klerk, the last white President of South Africa, he conducted negotiations that led to the end of the segregationist system in force since 1948. In 1993, the two men shared the Nobel Peace Prize. And one year later, Nelson Mandela was elected President in South Africa’s first free elections. He remained President until 1999. On July 12, 2005, this son of a Thembu chief born in the province of Umtata (1918) was appointed goodwill ambassador for UNESCO. The nomination ceremony took place at his Foundation in Johannesburg “in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the fight against Apartheid and racial discrimination, in his country and worldwide, his dedication to the reconciliation between the different communities, his unfailing commitment to democracy, equality and learning, his support for all the oppressed of the Earth and his exemplary contribution to international peace and understanding.” A member of The Elders, Nelson Mandela is also leading a fight against AIDS.