Lessons from Nelson Mandela 's Biography

1. Jens
Martensson
What can we learn
from Nelson
Mandela?
By BOUDAC Inasse
p 1

2. Jens
Martensson
Apartheid
Who is he ?
► Nelson Mandela was a civil rights leader in South
Africa.
► He was best known for serving 27 years in prison
as a protest against apartheid.
► The first black president in South Africa.
► He is the Father of South Africa.
► He is one of the most inspiring statesman in the
20th century.

3. Jens
Martensson
Youth and education
► Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Mvezo, Transkei,
South Africa on 18 July 1918.
► He was the first in his family to go to school.

4. Jens
Martensson
Nelson Mandela's life
Joined the ANC
and was a
founding member
of the Youth
League
National
president of the
ANCYL
1941 1950 1960 1961 1962
He secretly went abroad  after
returning to South Africa, he was
captured and jailed for leaving the
country illegally.
Some people held a
demonstration against
apartheid at
Sharpeville The police
shot dead 69 black
people and the
government banned the
ANC.
He co-founded the
militant group
“Umkhonto we Sizwe
“after joining the SACP
(South African
Communist Party).
Nelson Mandela was arrested in
the so-called Rivonia Trial for
“trying to overthrowing the State”.
He was sentenced to life in jail

5. Jens
Martensson
Extract from Nelson Mandela's statement
from the dock
Mandela's Speech from the Dock
During my lifetime I have dedicated
my life 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 people
will live together in harmony and
with equal opportunities. It is an
ideal for which I hope to live for and
to see realised. But, My Lord, if it
needs be, it is an ideal for which I am
prepared to die.

6. Jens
Martensson
1962 until 1990
In 1976 he started to
secretly write his
autobiography. It was
later published and
called the Long Walk to
Freedom.
As Mandela’s fame grew
throughout the 1980s,
pressure from internal
and external forces to
release him increased.
In 1990, the South
African government
finally responded to
internal and
international pressure
and released him, lifting
the ban on the ANC.
Mandela and de Klerk
agree that they would go
back to constitutional
negotiations
He was forced to do hard labour In 1994, South Africa
held its first non-racial
democratic election and
Mandela was elected as
its first black president
Nelson Mandela died in
2013 at the age of 95
Mandela was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize
together with FW de
Klerk.
After retiring as president, he
continued the fight for the world.
He helped broker peace in the
Democratic Republic of the
Congo and Burundi.
1991 1994 until 19991993 2013
Mandela became the
ANC's president.

7. Jens
Martensson
Lessons to be
learned from
Nelson Mandela

8. Jens
Martensson
Knowledge is a power and
holds the key to freedom
► He is a great believer in education and life-long
learning.
► He started to read Karl Marx, Engel, Lenin, Stalin and
Mao to understand their philosophy. As he started to
attend the political discussions ANC, a new world of
ideas, political beliefs and debates opened up to him
and he became thoroughly well educated.
► He gave legal advice to both prisoners and prison
staff Robben Island became known as the ‘Nelson
Mandela University’.
► He continued his studies in the prison.He said it was a
way to keep him from thinking negatively.
► He studied Law while imprisoned on Robben Island, as a
University of London student through distance and
flexible learning
Reconciliation and negotiation were
effective and powerful

9. Jens
Martensson
Leadership
► He had great interpersonal skills .He displayed
powerful communication, negotiation and conflict
resolution skills to lead South Africa to
Democracy.
► Mandela also displayed powerful self-
management skills like self-control, adaptability
and self-motivation.
► Mandela knew his enemies, taught himself their
language, learned to enjoy their sports and tastes.

10. Jens
Martensson
Never ever give up
► After being punished with the death sentence
His story could have ended there. This is the
moment most people would give up and say it’s
all over but he kept up the fight.

11. Jens
Martensson
Sacrifice
► President Botha offered Mandela freedom if he
renounced violence and other illegal activities.
Mandela did not fall for this transparent ploy .
He felt it would betray his principles, his
leadership and the ANC’s long struggle.

12. Jens
Martensson
Contact
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inasse.boudac@etu.emse.fr
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