Resources for Teachers and Students on Nelson Mandela
Prepare: Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1993. The text of his acceptance
speech can be found on the Nobel Prize website.
Read:
Nelson Mandela's Architects
of Peace essay is excerpted from his autobiography,
Long Walk to Freedom. His thesis is that his lifelong hunger
to be free is a result of realizing that his boyhood sense
of freedom was an illusion.
Explore: The African National Congress maintains
a website that contains an extensive biography
of Nelson Mandela. The official history of the African National
Congress, under the title "Mzabalazo",
can also be viewed online.
Write: Mandela states that "…we are not
yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free,
the right not to be oppressed." Compose a three-to-five
page expository paper about the relationship between freedom
and oppression, examining the point at which any given group
of people can truly claim to be free. Are there different
stages of freedom? What is the relationship, ultimately,
between freedom and peace?
Extend:
Although Nelson Mandela retired from public life in 1999,
he continues to advocate for the betterment of humanity.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, in an effort to continue
his legacy, works to promote conflict resolution, alleviate
poverty, and improve public health. Since over 11 million
South Africans are currently living with HIV/AIDS, the foundation
is particularly active in this area. Those interested can
volunteer
to help with projects such as World AIDS Day.
Additional Resource: An online version of the PBS
FRONTLINE documentary called "The
Long Walk of Nelson Mandela: An Intimate Portrait of One
of the Twentieth Century's Greatest Leaders,",
is available for free viewing.
Biography of Nelson
Mandela
