Nelson Mandela Quotes

Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty.

We succeeded to take our last steps to freedom in conditions of relative peace. We commit ourselves to the construction of a complete, just and lasting peace. We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people.

Let us give publicity to H.I.V./AIDS and not hide it, because the only way to make it appear like a normal illness like TB, like cancer, is always to come out and say somebody has died because of H.I.V./AIDS, and people will stop regarding it as something extraordinary.

I knew we could improve our lives even in jail. We could come out as different men, and we could even come out with two degrees. Educating ourselves was a way to give ourselves the most powerful weapon for freedom.

I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment.

Israel should withdraw from all the areas which it won from the Arabs in 1967, and in particular Israel should withdraw completely from the Golan Heights, from south Lebanon and from the West Bank.

Press Freedom will never be under threat in South Africa for as long as the ANC is the majority party

Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.

Like all Xhosa children, I acquired knowledge mainly through observation. We were meant to learn through imitation and emulation, not through questions. When I first visited the homes of whites, I was often dumbfounded by the number and nature of questions that children asked of their parents-and their parents' unfailing willingness to answer them. In my household, questions were considered a nuisance; adults imparted information as they considered necessary.

Our single most important challenge is therefore to help establish a social order in which the freedom of the individual will truly mean the freedom of the individual.

Lead from the front - but don t leave your base behind.

[I] read Anne Frank's diary [while imprisoned] on Robben Island and derived much encouragement from it.

You know you are really famous the day you discover you have become a comic character!

At the meeting I argued that the state had given us no alternative to violence. I said it was wrong and immoral to subject our people to armed attacks by the state without offering them some kind of alternative. I mentioned again that people on their own had taken up arms. Violence would begin whether we initiated it or not. Would it not be better to guide this violence ourselves, according to principles where we saved lives by attacking symbols of oppression, and not people? If we did not take the lead now, I said, we would soon be latecomers and followers to a movement we did not control.

It is a grave error for any leader to be oversensitive in the face of criticism

This must be a world of democracy and respect for human rights, a world freed from the horrors of poverty, hunger, deprivation and ignorance, relieved of the threat and the scourge of civil wars and external aggression and unburdened of the great tragedy of millions forced to become refugees.

The impression that you are a demigod worried me. I wanted to be like an ordinary human being with virtues and vices.

Prison is a still point in a turning world, and it is very easy to remain in the same place in jail while the world moves on.

Tread softly,
Brathe peacefully,
Laugh hysterically.

There is no future without forgiveness

I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there is mercy and generosity. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his kin, 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 the opposite.

I have retired, but if there's anything that would kill me it is to wake up in the morning not knowing what to do.

If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America.

Any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose.

I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man.

I never lose. Either I win or I learn.

A winner is a dreamer who never gives up

In human affairs, no single person, organisation or social formation ever has a final or an absolutely correct position. It is through conversation, debate and critical discussion that we approach positions that may provide workable solutions.

We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.

I remember Mac retorting that hundreds of years ago there was a Hindi word for a craft that flew in the air, long before the airplane was invented, but that did not mean that airplanes existed in ancient India.

From the poorest of countries to the richest of nations, education is the key to moving forward in any society.

Che Guevara's life is an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom. We will always honor his memory.

The education I received was a British education, in which British ideas, British culture, British institutions, were automatically assumed to be superior. There was no such thing as African culture.

A friend of mine once saw Mandela in a South African airport and told me this story. The president had noticed a lady who was walking by with her daughter, a beautiful five- or six-year-old girl, with blond hair and blue eyes. Mandela walked up to this little girl and leaned down and shook her hand, and he said, "Do you know who I am?" And the child smiled and said, "Yes, you are President Mandela." Mandela said, "Yes, I am your president. And if you work very hard in school and you learn a lot and you are nice to everybody, you too could grow up to be President of South Africa." Just

It is important to not be hostile to what a greater part of society has embraced, whether as Christians, Hindus or Muslims. It is important to respect that because whether you believe or not in the existence of a superior being, humanity does believe in that.

Don't Judge a person by his success stories, but only with how many times the person stood up, after falling down.

I cannot conceive of Israel withdrawing if Arab states do not recognize Israel, within secure borders.

Poverty is not natural; it is man-made

Both Bush as well as Tony Blair are undermining an idea [the United Nations]. Is this because the secretary general of the United Nations [Ghanaian Kofi Annan] is now a black man? They never did that when secretary generals were white.

Force is the only language the imperialists can hear, and no country became free without some sort of violence.

There is a universal respect and even admiration for those who are humble and simple by nature, and who have absolute confidence in all human beings irrespective of their social status.

Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair

Money wont create success, the fredom to make it will

There is nothing like a fixed, steady aim, with an honorable purpose. It dignifies your nature, and insures your success.

If we are to accomplish anything in this world, it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievements of others.

I wondered
not for the first time
whether one was ever justified in neglecting the welfare of one's own family in order to fight for the welfare of others. Can there be anything more important than looking after one's aging mother? Is politics merely a pretext for shirking one's responsibilities, an excuse for not being able to provide in the way one wanted?

When we read we are able to travel to many places, meet many people and understand the world.

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.
[ Live 8 Concert, Mary Fitzgerald Square, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2 July 2005]

Only armchair politicians are immune from committing mistakes. Errors are inherent in political action.

I believe that in the end that it is kindness and accommodation that are all the catalysts for real change.

I cannot and will not give any undertaking at a time when I, and you, the people, are not free. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.

There's no such thing as part freedom.

Children are the most important asset in a country. For them to become that asset, they must receive education and love from their parents.

If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.

How can I be expected to believe that this same racial discrimination which has been the cause of so much injustice and suffering right through the years, should now operate here to give me a fair and open trial? ... consider myself neither morally nor legally obliged to obey laws made by a Parliament in which I am not represented. That the will of the people is the basis of the authority of government, is a principle universally acknowledged as sacred throughout the civilized world.

The Liberty Bell is "a very significant symbol for the entire democratic world."

Through its imperialist system Britain brought about untold suffering of millions of people. And this is an historical fact. To be able to admit this would increase the respect, you know, which we have for British institutions.

The real meaning of the spoken word has to be demonstrated by practical deeds

We understand and promote the notion that while children need to be guided they also have an entrenched right to be whatever they want to be and that they can achieve this only if they are given the space to dream and live out their dreams.

Our economic approach to food and its distribution reflects our basic moral values.

Losing a sense of time is an easy way to lose one's grip and even one's sanity.

Trade justice for the developing world and for this generation is a truly significant way for the developed countries to show commitment to bringing about an end to global poverty.

Badenhorst had perhaps been the most callous and barbaric commanding officer we had had on Robin Island. But that day, he had revealed that there was another side to his nature… it was a useful reminder that all men, even the most seemingly cold blooded, have a core of decency, and that if their hearts are touched, they are capable of changing. Ultimately, Badenhorst was not evil; his inhumanity had been foisted upon him by an inhuman system. He behaved like a brute because he was rewarded for brutish behavior.

A political movement must keep in touch with reality and the prevailing conditions. Long speeches, the shaking of fists, the banging of tables, and strongly worded resolutions out of touch with the objective conditions do not bring about mass action and can do a great deal of harm to the organization and the struggle we serve.

The relations between a man and his or her god is a personal matter; you can't go out and challenge the belief of people in a superior being.

Disabled children are equally entitled to an exciting and brilliant future.

It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.

Times change, we need to change as well.

When I walked out of the gate I knew that if I continued to hate these people I was still in prison.

Sometimes, I feel like one who is on the sidelines, who has missed life itself.

Be absolute for death; for either death or life shall be the sweeter.

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.

Like the gardener, a leader must take responsibility for what he cultivates; he must mind his work, try to repel enemies, preserve what can be preserved, and eliminate what cannot succeed.

As the years progress one increasingly realises the importance of friendship and human solidarity. And if a 90-year-old may offer some unsolicited advice on this occasion, it would be that you, irrespective of your age, should place human solidarity, the concern for the other, at the centre of the values by which you live.

A bright future beckons. The onus is on us, through hard work, honesty and integrity, to reach for the stars.

I was called a terrorist yesterday ... Today I am admired by the very people who said I was one.

Of course we desire education and we think it is a good thing, but you don't have to have education in order to know that you want certain fundamental rights, you have got aspirations, you have got acclaims. It has nothing to do with education whatsoever.

A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don't have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.

Crime must be brought under control ... Freedom without civility, freedom without the ability to live in peace, was not true freedom at all.

overcoming fear, personal scarifies for the cause of freedom of all, and ability to see good in your enemies – No one is born hating another person because of the color of your skin, or his background, or his religion … if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.

I don't think there is much history can say about me. I just want to be remembered as part of that collective.

The world remains beset by so much human suffering, poverty and deprivation. It is in your hands to make of our world a better one for all, especially the poor, vulnerable and marginalized.

During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. 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.

Our people outside of prison used my name to mobilize the community locally and internationally. But for me to be treated separately from my colleagues, who had contributed as much as and even more than I had, would have been a betrayal of them.

Lead from the back - and let others believe they are in front.

All remained loyal to him, not because they always agreed with him, but because the regent listened to and respected different opinions.

We can't win a war, but we can win an election.

Let your greatness bloom.

Men, I think, are not capable of doing nothing, of saying nothing, of not reacting to injustice, of not protesting against oppression, of not striving for the good of society and the good life in the ways they see it.

It always gives me great pleasure to be surrounded by the beautiful children of our land. Whenever I am with the energetic young people ... I feel like a recharged battery, confident that our country can look forward to great things.

South Africa is the most beautiful place on earth. Admittedly, I am biased but when you combine the natural beauty ... and the fact that the region is a haven for Africa's most splendid wildlife ... Then I think that we have been blessed with a truly wonderful land.

Our motto should be: let us make peace so that we can concentrate on the really important work that needs to be done. That is, alleviating the plight of the poor and the defenceless, for as long as most of humanity feels the pain of poverty we all remain prisoners.

I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.

I always knew that someday I would once again feel the grass under my feet and walk in the sunshine as a free man.

The human body has an enormous capacity for adjusting to trying circumstances. I have found that one can bear the unbearable if one can keep one's spirit strong, even when one's body is being tested. Strong convictions are the secret of surviving deprivation. Your spirit can be full even when your stomach is empty.

Let us remind ourselves that it is ordinary people - men and women, boys and girls - that make the world a special place

Teach the children that Africans are not one iota inferior to Europeans.

Artists reach areas far beyond the reach of politicians. Art, especially entertainment and music, is understood by everybody, and it lifts the spirits and the morale of those who hear it.

Greece is the mother of democracy and South Africa is its youngest daughter

Those who can't imagine change reveal the deficits of their imaginations, not the difficulty of change.