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World Grieves Nelson Mandela’s Death

Nelson Mandela Dead: His Life and Legacy

Revered anti-apartheid activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela has died. He was one of the 20th century’s iconic symbols of freedom and equality. He was 95 years old. 

World Grieves Nelson Mandela’s Death by Gary Strauss @gbstrauss, USA TODAY

1385666619000-AFP-522461974Former South African president Nelson Mandela poses for a photograph on Aug. 25, 2010.(Photo: Nelson Mandela Foundation via AFP/Getty Images)

In failing health for years and last seen in public in 2010, his death at age 95 was not unexpected, but saddened many who compared him with other civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and India’s Mahatma Gandhi.

President Obama, who drew inspiration from Mandela’s life, was effusive in his praise, saying he “could not imagine his own life without the example Mandela set.”

“He achieved more than could be expected of any man. We’ve lost one of the most influential, courageous, profoundly good people to be on this Earth,” Obama said. “We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again.”

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Mandela “a giant for justice” whose “selfless struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom” inspired many people around the world. “No one did more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the United Nations,” Ban Ki-moon said.

1386338924004-AP-India-Mandela-Global-Reax1

Indian schoolchildren hold candles and portraits of former South African President Nelson Mandela as they pay tribute to him at a school in Ahmadabad, India, on Dec. 6, 2013. Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, died Dec. 5 in Johannesburg after a long illness. He was 95.  Ajit Solanki, AP

Mandela also drew praise from former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. “History will remember Nelson Mandela as a champion for human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation,” Clinton said. “We will remember him as a man of uncommon grace and compassion, for whom abandoning bitterness and embracing adversaries was not just a political strategy but a way of life.”

Said Bush: “He was a man of tremendous moral courage, who changed the course of history in his country. Barbara and I had great respect for President Mandela, and send our condolences to his family and countrymen.”

1386301345000-AP-Britain-Obit-MandelaA woman with a banner pays tribute to Nelson Mandela outside South African High Commission in London on Friday.  Sang Tan, AP

Andrew Young, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Mandela took on the task of uniting racially torn South Africa. ” “He was a phenomenal individual,” Young said. “Everything he did was about reconciling differences.”

“President Mandela was one of the great forces for freedom and equality of our time,” former president George W. Bush said. “He bore his burdens with dignity and grace, and our world is better off because of his example. This good man will be missed, but his contributions will live on forever.”

NAACP Chairwoman Roslyn Brock said Mandela “embodied the hopes, dreams, aspirations and values of all who seek justice against tremendous odds.”

“He responded to unfathomable violence with peace and courage, and in doing so he forever changed the world,” Brock said.

1386338924012-EPA-SOUTH-AFRICA-NELSON-MANDELA-OBITUARYMourners sing songs outside the house of the late Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg.  Kim Ludbrook, epa

Singer and activist Bono, who knew Mandela and with his band, U2, wrote the songOrdinary Love for the just released theatrical release Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, said Mandela made the world is a better place.

“It was as if he was born to teach the age a lesson in humility, in humor and above all else in patience,” Bono said. ” In the end, Nelson Mandela showed us how to love rather than hate, not because he had never surrendered to rage or violence, but because he (learned) that love would do a better job. Mandela played with the highest stakes. He put his family, his country, his time, his life on the line, and he won most of these contests.”

Singer Paul Simon, who made a controversial nine-day trip to South Africa in 1985 that some thought violated a United Nations cultural boycott, called Mandela one of the great leaders and teachers of the 20th century. “He conceived a model for mortal enemies to overcome their hatred and find a way through compassion to rebuild a nation based on truth, justice and the power of forgiveness. His passing should reignite a worldwide effort for peace,” Simon said.

Paying tribute from Britain, the Prince of Wales said: “Mandela was the embodiment of courage and reconciliation. He was also a man of great humour and had a real zest for life. With his passing, there will be an immense void not only in his family’s lives, but also in those of all South Africans and the many others whose lives have been changed through his fight for peace, justice and freedom.”

Queen Elizabeth II said she was “deeply saddened” at the news of Mandela’s death.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called him one of the greatest politicians of our times.

1386338924002-AP-APTOPIX-South-Africa-Mandela-MourningSouth African children hold placards showing the face of Nelson Mandela as they celebrate his life in the street outside his old house in the Soweto neighborhood of Johannesburg.  Ben Curtis, AP

F.W. de Klerk, South Africa’s last apartheid-era president, said he and Mandela first met each other in 1989 and concluded they could do business with each other as the country embarked on its long-awaited transition to democratic rule.

“Although we were political opponents — and although our relationship was often stormy — we were always able to come together at critical moments to resolve the many crises that arose during the negotiation process,” de Klerk said in a statement.

In Detroit, where Mandela had visited years ago, he was lauded for his warmth and dignity.

1386338924009-EPA-INDIA-NELSON-MANDELA-OBITUARYIndian men hold placards and candles as they pay tribute to Nelson Mandela in Bangalore, India.  Jagadeesh Nv, epa

“When he got off the plane in Detroit, there was a line of dignitaries waiting to greet him,” said Damon Keith, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals. “He walked past the governor, the mayor and many others toward the end of the line where (civil rights activist Rosa) Parks stood. That showed me the impact of the civil rights movement on him and the entire world.”

South African President Jacob Zuma said that Mandela would be given a state funeral and ordered all flags in the nation to be lowered to half mast until after the funeral.

The BBC reported that the funeral will be held next Saturday in the Eastern Cape village of Qunu where Mandela was born. It is thought that Mandela’s body will lie in state in Pretoria for three days ahead of that.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/12/05/nelson-mandelas-death-prompts-outpouring-of-grief/3882783/

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