It’s a month until Nelson Mandela International Day, which takes place on July 18, and people globally have already started doing their bit to make the world a better place – by making every day a Mandela Day.
Since the launch of Mandela Day in 2010, this movement for good has taken hold globally, with people worldwide following Nelson Mandela’s example and doing what they can to create a better world for those who live in it.
In 2009, during his 91st birthday speech, Mandela called upon the next generation of leaders worldwide to carry on his legacy of serving others. “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it,” he said, inspiring a global movement for change.
Mandela Day is an initiative of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, a long-standing Flow client, that encourages people to honour Mandela’s legacy by doing humanitarian acts that will lead to a better life for someone else.
Says Flow media developer Kate Rau, who works on the Nelson Mandela Foundation account: “The focus is shifting from dedicating 67 minutes of your time on Mandela Day, to really embodying Nelson Mandela’s values and making every day a Mandela Day.”
In the words of Nelson Mandela, “We must use time wisely and forever realise that the time is always ripe to do right.”
There are a number of ways that you can make every day a Mandela Day, and change someone’s life for the better. Here are a few ideas:
● Join the 67 Blankets initiative and knit squares or an entire blanket to give to those in need of warmth
● Volunteer at your local animal shelter
● Dedicate time every day to read for the elderly at an old-age home
● Gather a group of friends and start a neighbourhood clean-up and recycling programme
● Plant a food garden in your yard or at your local school
● Teach young children to read or the elderly a new skill, such as using the internet
Visit mandeladay.com and share what you will be doing to pay it forward, and make every day a Mandela Day.