Nelson Mandela Day in Korea

The South African Embassy celebrated Nelson Mandela Day on Monday, with officials from the embassy and the South African Chamber of Commerce volunteering at the Boys Town, a welfare center for children in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

The embassy called upon everyone around the world to designate 67 minutes to make a difference in the lives of others, in honor of the 67 years Mandela fought for human rights and the abolition of apartheid.

“It is an annual celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life and a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them,” the embassy said in a press release.

“It is a day when everyone can make a difference in their communities and change the world for the better,” the statement read.

In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly declared July 18, the birthday of South Africa’s first democratically elected president, as Nelson Mandela International Day. It was to established in recognition of his humanitarian work and contributions.

The embassy stressed that Mandela Day is a call to action for individuals -- for people everywhere -- to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place, one small step at a time, just as Mandela did.

“Do what you Can, With what you have, Wherever you are,” is this year’s global theme, the embassy said.


By Sanjay Kumar (sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com)