“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Nelson Mandela
Wednesday 18th July is Mandela Day – a celebration and day of action, worldwide, in honour of the legacy of a man who strove to make the world a better place; Nelson Mandela.
Anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist, Nelson Mandela's journey from political prisoner to president of South Africa is an incredible tale of triumph in the face of adversity. 2018 marks a hundred years since his birth, and we are celebrating his remarkable life in our Little Guides to Great Lives: Nelson Mandela.
Every year, on 18th July, those who continue to work for a freer, better, society use Mandela Day to increase conversation around work towards equality, and to provide a focus for action – from the smallest deed, to larger campaigns, every act towards change helps make a difference.
Those working for many causes at the Nelson Mandela Foundation call on the world to pay attention to a simple message, they say:
The message behind Mandela Day is simple – everyone has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better.
If each one of us heeds the call to simply do something good every day, we can live Nelson Mandela’s legacy and help build the country of our dreams.
The baton of leadership has been handed over to us. It is in our hands now to make a positive difference.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation has decided to dedicate 2018 to honouring a great statesman and making every day a Mandela Day by encouraging everyone to take action against poverty in a way that will bring about sustainable change.
Take the Challenge!
Could you give 67 mins to someone else in your school, community or the wider society you live in? 67 minutes mark a minute for every year that Nelson Mandela spent in jail fighting for freedom and equality. What would make life better for everyone you know? Can you make a difference? Take our challenge below:
One of the launch titles in our brand new Little Guides to Great Lives, our Little Guide to Nelson Mandela will provide the perfect inspiration to help celebrate this day – and we have the perfect challenge for you, too, and it all centres around asking one key question:
Who do you want to be today?
Our challenges will make you think about the world around you in a different way; be as creative as you like and make the challenge your own - there is no one right way to answer the challenge.
Download your activity sheet here… And when you’re finished, print your very own Little Guides challenge certificate!
You can add any thoughts about Nelson Mandela and his amazing legacy and share your own challenges on social media using #MANDELAday
Discover the series!
Our Little Guides to Great Lives will entertain, inform and provide enquiring young minds with a whole host of inspiration, with full-color illustrations and fresh design that brings their incredible stories to life. Meet and be inspired by:
Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand-new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way. Get curious and discover some truly great people from across history; inspiring lives that concentrated around the asking of important questions and the (often life-long) search for answers, to those that were obsessed with investigating how things work – from the natural to the man-made spheres, to lives of exploration and a focus on being adventurous, to working towards a fair society, to being the truest to your creative self that you can be.