No bitterness, no resentment after wrongly being banged up for 27 years.....a lifetime!

Truly one of the great men.

RIP

For a man who had so many years of his life taken away, he did a remarkable job in a very short time of preventing the revenge factor from taking over. His example swayed South Africans toward reconciliation. Unfortunately only one Mandela comes along in a lifetime.

He, along with Ghandi & Martin Luther King are the greatest figures of the 20th century. Rest in peace Mandiba.

This is an extract from Nelson Mandela's statement from the dock at his trial in Pretoria, April 1964. Very powerful words.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/dec/05/nelson-mandela-1964-speech-audio

This is an extract from Nelson Mandela's statement from the dock at his trial in Pretoria, April 1964. Very powerful words.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/dec/05/nelson-mandela-1964-speech-audio

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” —Rivonia trial, 1964

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“If I had my time over I would do the same again. So would any man who dares call himself a man.” —Pretoria, South Africa 1962

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“Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished”

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“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”

For a man who had so many years of his life taken away, he did a remarkable job in a very short time of preventing the revenge factor from taking over. His example swayed South Africans toward reconciliation. Unfortunately only one Mandela comes along in a lifetime.

He, along with Ghandi & Martin Luther King are the greatest figures of the 20th century. Rest in peace Mandiba.

My heroes too. They grow in stature as the years go by. Their memories will never fade. I don't weep for them. I revel in their lives and what they taught me and the rest of the world. RIP Nelson Mandela. Your smile is not and never will be extinguished.

Great front page ... time sensitive.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

'He belongs to the ages'

Worldwide, grief and deep admiration

Sudarsan Raghavan, Craig Timberg and DeNeen L. Brown

Nelson Mandela’s death spurs the rarest of outpourings — one nearly universal and unanimous.

I am a South African Cape Coloured living in Thailand now and to read everyone's comments and the knowledge you guys have my country and Mr Madiba is truly heart warming. I am 25 and am lucky enough to not have grown up enough to have understood what was going on around me, during Apartheid. I went to an all white school and nobody and I mean NOBODY was racist towards me or my coloured friends.

The respect I have for Madiba is why I am amazed at the fellow farangs knowing so much about South Africa.

So thank you all for your knowledge and appreciation.

#amazingfarangs

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I told my wife Thai wife Nelson Mandela had passed away. Blank look in return. She has no idea who he is or what he achieved. TiT

Ditto mine was the same and had never heard of him. Thailand is really isolated if people haven't heard of the great man.

To- night Thai tv's Royal news,HM King sends his condolence,and then, a very breif out line of his life.

Step grand daughter at school Mor 3 "who was he",TW in a very matter of fact way "been on about it all day,on the TV, he spent 27 years in prison" all she had to say.again never heard of him.

TiT.....again.

Mr Mandela R.I.P.

Rolihlahla you set a world free, RIP.

I am deeply saddened by this news, inevitable as it had become. I feel like I have lost a close friend or family member but never met the man.

In the 80′s I attended a number of anti apartheid rally’s and rejoiced along with millions around the world at the ending of apartheid and the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990. Here are some of Nelson Mandela’s words.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

From Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

For me he is and will remain one of the most inspirational people in history.

A light has gone out in the world. Rest in peace Nelson Mandela. Free and at peace.

Speaking as atheist, extraordinary transcendent men in history like Mandela are as good as it gets ...

I just thought about Mandela as transcendent myself now and googled it and found this:

It is virtually impossible to separate the man from the legend, the flesh-and-blood Nelson Mandela from the transcendent “South African Moses” whose quest for justice in racially partitioned South Africa exacted great personal sacrifice.

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20131205-editorial-mandela-the-transcendent-south-african-moses.ece

I am not sure that it is hypocrisy. I am guessing that a lot of people were critical of some of the things that Mandela did as young man when he advocated violent revolution, but became very respectful of him after he was released from prison and went on to forgive his enemies, bring his whole country together and keep the peace. He was not born a great man. He became one.

I am not sure that it is hypocrisy. I am guessing that a lot of people were critical of some of the things that Mandela did as young man when he advocated violent revolution, but became very respectful of him after he was released from prison and went on to forgive his enemies, bring his whole country together and keep the peace. He was not born a great man. He became one.

But surely he had the right to advocate and participate in the armed struggle given the apartheid system in South Africaa. and the denial of democracy to the majority.Bill Clinton made the same point in his tribute to Mandela today, namely that the American colonials participated in the armed struggle against the empire of King George.I don't think Mandela's revolutionary past can be held against him at all.

That is your opinion, but the reason he is revered by most of the world has nothing to do with his revolutionary activities. It is for the compassion and forgiveness he showed as a leader later in life.

That is your opinion, but the reason he is revered by most of the world has nothing to do with his revolutionary activities. It is for the compassion and forgiveness he showed as a leader later in life.

I would have thought he is respected for both - his part in overthrowing the apartheid regime and for his magnanimity thereafter.

Off-topic posts and replies deleted.

R I P

A true Gentleman and a Scholar...

Just after arriving in Thailand about 16 years ago, colleagues took me to a luncheon hosted by the American chamber at the dusit hotel.

The speaker was Nelson Mandela. I was amazed how he was speaking for over half an hour with no script, not even cue cards, just disseminating charisma.

After the speech the security personnel wanted to bring him out through the back door where he came in, but he insisted on meeting the people. So he walked off the stage through the ballroom trying to shake as many hands as possible, I was one of them.

A truly amazing person.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

An off-topic post has been deleted.

Interesting how the BBC report it compared to the History Channel.

BBC:

He was born in 1918 into the Xhosa-speaking Thembu people in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa. In South Africa, he is often called by his clan name - "Madiba".

HC:

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, into a royal family of the Xhosa-speaking Thembu tribe in the South African village of Mvezo, where his father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa (c. 1880-1928), served as chief.

An off-topic post has been deleted.

I am sure there will be other threads at a future date that will take a more in-depth look at his life, his accomplishments and some of the controversy. This thread will not.

The Memorial service was a big event with a lot of world leaders and famous people:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/10/world/africa/nelson-mandela-memorial/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Here is a list of some of those who attended.

Couple of Spice Girls tagged along ...

Most notable exception ... the Dalai Lama !

Re the Dalai, a spokesmen noting that it is "logistically impossible at this time".

He visited Mandela in 1996, but since then has had two visa applications to South Africa declined.

Sad really.

Here is a list of some of those who attended.

Couple of Spice Girls tagged along ...

Most notable exception ... the Dalai Lama !

Re the Dalai, a spokesmen noting that it is "logistically impossible at this time".

He visited Mandela in 1996, but since then has had two visa applications to South Africa declined.

Sad really.

Did Thailand send a representative?

Perhaps not in keeping with the tone of a memorial service, US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron and Danish leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt grinned as they cosied up for a quick picture at today's memorial service for the former South African president, prompting an outpouring of criticism.

As the trio posed for the mobile phone snap, Obama's wife Michelle sat alongside her husband looking less than impressed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521146/Nelson-Mandela-memorial-service-World-leaders-gather-South-Africa-remember-president.html

Perhaps not in keeping with the tone of a memorial service, US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron and Danish leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt grinned as they cosied up for a quick picture at today's memorial service for the former South African president, prompting an outpouring of criticism.

As the trio posed for the mobile phone snap, Obama's wife Michelle sat alongside her husband looking less than impressed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521146/Nelson-Mandela-memorial-service-World-leaders-gather-South-Africa-remember-president.html

I did watch the service and Obama did seem to steal the show.

eulogies were paused whilst the cameras focused on Obama waving to the crowd, when he finished the service continued.

Here is a list of some of those who attended.

Couple of Spice Girls tagged along ...

Most notable exception ... the Dalai Lama !

Re the Dalai, a spokesmen noting that it is "logistically impossible at this time".

He visited Mandela in 1996, but since then has had two visa applications to South Africa declined.

Sad really.

Did Thailand send a representative?

Mate ... good point and I honestly don't know.

Yingluck obviously was deeply engaged in her Political Strom.

One of the inner Royal Family? ... but I've read no reports of anyone representing Thailand.

Anyone know ... ?

.

Perhaps not in keeping with the tone of a memorial service, US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron and Danish leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt grinned as they cosied up for a quick picture at today's memorial service for the former South African president, prompting an outpouring of criticism.

As the trio posed for the mobile phone snap, Obama's wife Michelle sat alongside her husband looking less than impressed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521146/Nelson-Mandela-memorial-service-World-leaders-gather-South-Africa-remember-president.html

Obama does like to get touchy,feely with the distaff pollies (Aung San Suu Kyi and Yingluck come to mind) and now I guess Michelle will be knocking the Danish PM off her Christmas card list too.

He's an affable guy but decorum isn't his strong suit.

Oh, please. It was a long service. There were thousands of people dancing and singing there as part of the local cultures. The deceased was 95! It was mostly a CELEBRATION of his life and legacy. I am very pleased President Obama was able to attend and make such a moving speech. Fox News nit pickers are never happy.