Nelson Mandela Month 2024
“It is still in your hands to combat poverty and inequity.” – Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela Day is a global event celebrated every July 18th to honour Nelson Mandela’s life and enduring legacy. It is a call for individuals, communities, and organizations to reflect on Mandela’s values and principles and to take meaningful actions that benefit their communities. The South African government now officially recognised Nelson Mandela Month, running throughout July every year.
Originally, Nelson Mandela Day was widely recognized for its slogan, “67 Minutes of Service.” But do you know the story behind this slogan and why it was eventually changed? In 2009, it was observed that Nelson Mandela dedicated 67 years of his life to the fight for social justice—through his activism, imprisonment, and presidency. However, it was later calculated that Mandela had actually spent 65 years championing social justice since joining the ANC in 1944. Despite this error, the 67 Minutes campaign became a global phenomenon and a central aspect of Nelson Mandela International Day.
The “67 Minutes of Service” initiative led to several significant campaigns, including Carolyn Steyn’s 67 Blankets project and the creation of Mandela Day Libraries throughout South Africa. The goal was to motivate people to participate in short-term, action-focused projects for their communities, such as painting schools, cleaning streets, and preparing meals. Nonetheless, the initiative faced criticism for encouraging brief, one-off charitable acts rather than fostering sustainable, long-term change. This highlighted the need for ongoing, collaborative efforts to truly honour Mandela’s legacy.
In 2011, the Nelson Mandela Foundation introduced a new slogan: “Make Every Day a Mandela Day.” The new initiative seeks to inspire individuals to uphold Mandela’s values throughout the entire year, aiming to turn Nelson Mandela Day from a single day of observance into a continuous global movement for social justice. Over time, we have come to recognize that even short-term activities like cleanups and school renovations can have lasting impacts by bringing communities together, raising awareness, and advancing social justice goals.
Here are eight ways you can make a difference today:
- Support Social Justice Organizations: Donate to underfunded NGOs in South Africa that do vital work, such as Eyes2Eyes.
- Promote the Campaign: Increase the visibility of Nelson Mandela Day by engaging with posts online, sharing updates, and using relevant hashtags.
- Donate Food to the Homeless: Address South Africa’s homelessness crisis by providing food to those in need.
- Give to Orphanages: Contribute old bedding, clothes, and toys to orphanages, which often lack essential resources.
- Start a Community Garden: Help establish or support a community garden, or donate trees to provide fresh food and clean air to local areas.
- Participate in Clean-Ups: Join or organize street or beach clean-up efforts to benefit the environment and foster community pride.
- Collect Sanitary Towels: Organize a collection of sanitary products for disadvantaged women and girls, or participate in a local collection drive.
- Engage with Your Community: Connect with people in your community whom you wouldn’t normally interact with, spreading positivity and goodwill.
Share your contributions and those of others on social media using the hashtags #ItIsStillInYourHands and #MandelaDay2024.
Embrace every day as an opportunity to combat poverty and inequality in a sustainable manner.
Content reference: https://www.mandeladay.com
Image source: South African Government. https://www.gov.za/NelsonMandelaMonth2024