Commemoration of Nelson Mandela

[webfact]

HUMANITY

Commemoration of Nelson Mandela

The Nation

A portrait representing former South African President Nelson Mandela is displayed on the windows of a building as lights inside the building reflect in downtown Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandelas 95th birtday

BANGKOK: -- The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on Thursday hosts a ceremony to commemorate South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela at the Bangkok headquarter.

Starting from 2pm to 3pm, the 2013 Thailand commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day has been organised by the South African Embassy in Bangkok. It was hosted in honour of Mandela's 67 years of service to humanity.

The programme lasted exactly 67 minutes and feature remarks by UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Dr. Noeleen Heyzer and Ambassador Robina P. Marks, South African Embassy, Thailand.

South African Cultural Performances by the CC Boys were featured as well as a discussion of Nelson Mandela’s Legacy in the style of a South African Imbizo Townhall, and a photo exhibition celebrating Nelson Mandela’s life.

Mandela today turns 95.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Nelson Mandela’s historic role in the democratisation of South Africain a message.

"Your name is inseparable from a whole epoch of modern African history that heralded the building of a new democratic South Africa,"Putin wrote in the message published on the Kremlin’s website.

Putin added that it was "hard to overestimate" Mandela’s personalrole in establishing good ties with Moscow. He said that Russian-South African relations had reached a "strategic partnership."

-- The Nation 2013-07-18

[webfact]

[webfact]

Happy birthday Mandiba!

[nachiket]

Me and my words may not reach that height, but still wishing him all the best on this great day.

Edited July 18, 2013 by nachiket

[Suradit69]

South Africa still faces a tough road ahead, but it's almost impossible to believe how well the transition to democracy went and 99% of that is because of this remarkable man. Frightening to try think of how things could have turned out ... although Zimbabwe gives a glimpse into what could have happened in South Africa. I hope he found some personal enjoyment in his life in recent years. He certainly paid dearly for it.

Webfact: Thanks for the Johnny Clegg video. I had forgotten about him. Brings back a flood of memories.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Suradit69

[khunken]

Happy birthday Mandiba. My thoughts are with you.

And thanks from me to Webfact for running that video - great track & great artist (Johnny Clegg).

[lee b]

Stay well matey

[Escapologist]

Putin added that it was "hard to overestimate" Mandela’s personalrole in establishing good ties with Moscow.

Most communist-terrorists had good ties with Moscow in those days. Maybe we should all celebrate international kill whitey day? That's the song Mandela was filmed singing, about killing the whites, right? He got his first-world State handed to him on a plate and, thousands of butchered white South Africans and a failing economy later, he got his dream and will no doubt die a happy man. Good riddance.

[HatYai2]

Putin added that it was "hard to overestimate" Mandela’s personalrole in establishing good ties with Moscow.

Most communist-terrorists had good ties with Moscow in those days. Maybe we should all celebrate international kill whitey day? That's the song Mandela was filmed singing, about killing the whites, right? He got his first-world State handed to him on a plate and, thousands of butchered white South Africans and a failing economy later, he got his dream and will no doubt die a happy man. Good riddance.

The ‘machine gun’ song was/is regularly sung by our illustrious Zuma. “Kill the famer…” by any number of our non−racist black comrades. For the rest you are correct.

Mandela (Madeba) has done nothing as the elder statesman to admonish or advise.

His excuse?

Everyone is subservient to the all-knowing ANC, which infallibly determines policy.

He is just a pliable geriatric, wheeled out to rubberstamp and legitimise all and any.

[jbrain]

When Thaksin will be commemorated and have his picture on the windows of Central World.

He likes to compare himself to Mandela, doesn't he.

[Suradit69]

Putin added that it was "hard to overestimate" Mandela’s personalrole in establishing good ties with Moscow.

Most communist-terrorists had good ties with Moscow in those days. Maybe we should all celebrate international kill whitey day? That's the song Mandela was filmed singing, about killing the whites, right? He got his first-world State handed to him on a plate and, thousands of butchered white South Africans and a failing economy later, he got his dream and will no doubt die a happy man. Good riddance.

"and a failing economy later"

Before the end of apartheid the economy only supported a pleasant life style for a tiny minority and their only claim to that privilege was the color of their skin.

Yes, Mandela is/was a consummate politician, but he used that skill to effect a transition (that was going to happen at some point anyway) more peacefully than most anyone could have imagined. F.W. de Klerk didn't decide to get the process going out of the goodness of his heart. The writing was on the wall as both domestic and international pressure made it inevitable.

It would have been great if that could have happened with no deaths and if the new South Africa had a roaring economy that provided everyone with all they wanted, but realistically that was never going to happen. What did happen and is happening is still better than might have been. Considering the justifiable bitterness of all the people who suffered under Apartheid (and if you refuse to see that, you're delusional) the reconciliation process was something of a miracle.

Sorry if you personally lost friends or family. I can understand that making you angry, but the pain didn't start when they released Mandela.

[DGIE]

I like his smiling face