Worldwide celebration for Mandelas 90th Birthday

People in South Africa and across the world
are celebrating Nelson Mandela's 95th
birthday by dedicating 67 minutes of their
time to help others.
Aljazeera's website says the country's 12
million schoolchildren began their day on
Wednesday with a special birthday song
for the former president, ringing with the
line: "We love you father".
"As we celebrate his birthday, we
remember that he fought for us in the
struggle. The struggle was to fight
apartheid," said 12-year-old Kgaugelo
Masunhloane at Batsogile primary school in
Soweto.
In 2009, the United Nations agreed to
commemorate Mandela's birthday every
year to recognise the Nobel Peace Prize
laureate's contribution to resolving
conflicts and promoting race relations,
human rights and reconciliation.
People all over the world were enouraged
to devote 67 minutes of their day to public
service, to honour Mandela's 67 years in
politics.
Volunteers carried out a wide variety of
tasks including building houses, feeding
the poor and cleaning schools.
President Barack Obama and former
president Bill Clinton paid tribute to
Mandela ahead of his 94th birthday, as
having "abiding humility" and
"unbreakable will".
World leaders pay tribute
President Jacob Zuma said Mandela, who
has been hospitalized since June, is steadily
improving following his lung ailment.
"We are proud to call this international icon
our own as South Africans and wish him
good health," Zuma said in a statement on
Fox8.com.
"We thank all our people for supporting
Madiba throughout the hospitalization with
undying love and compassion. We also
thank all for responding to the call to give
Madiba the biggest birthday celebration
ever this year," Zuma added.
U.S. President Barack Obama, who visited
with Mandela's family in South Africa last
month, also sent birthday wishes.
"People everywhere have the opportunity
to honor Madiba through individual and
collective acts of service," he said in a
statement. "Through our own lives, by
heeding his example, we can honor the
man who showed his own people -- and
the world -- the path to justice, equality
and freedom."
"On behalf of the people of the United
States, we would like to extend our
heartfelt congratulations to Nelson Mandela
on the occasion of his 94th birthday and
the fourth annual Nelson Mandela
International Day," the US first couple said.
Obama's Democratic predecessor Bill
Clinton, meanwhile, hailed his close ties
with Mandela before visiting the South
African icon's home in his childhood
village.
Before the visit Clinton opened a library at
a primary school together with Mandela's
wife, Graca Machel, and daughter Zindzi
ahead of the statesman's birthday.
"We worked together as presidents and
even after we left office we continued
working together to improve education of
the children worldwide in order for them
to share the future," Clinton said.
Andrew Mlangeni, 87, who was imprisoned
with Mandela, hailed his friend as "a
modern day global icon, an embodiment of
the values of justice, peace, selflessness
and consideration."
"The world's celebration of Mandela's
birthday is also a celebration of the human
values that the former leader represents,"
he said.
Mlangeni said Mandela was "making very
good progress " and appealed to those
gathered to continue to pray for him.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the U.S. civil rights
leader, praised Mandela's commitment to
healing and equality and urged people to
honor his courage, according to CNN
website.
The world "will never forget the living
witness of Nelson Mandela," Jackson said,
describing him as a "giant of men."
Former British MP, Peter Hain, described the
former South African president as a
"colossus in the world."
Born in South Africa and raised in the UK,
Hain was an anti-apartheid activist during
the 1960s, and famously spearheaded
efforts to stop all-white South African
rugby teams from touring in 1969 and
1970.
In an interview with the CBC's Susan
Ormiston, Hain reflects on the qualities that
make Mandela such an historic figure. After
spending 27 years in jail as a political
prisoner, Mandela "came out, not wanting
revenge, but seeking reconciliation and
preaching healing of a bitterly divided
country," says Hain.
Without Mandela, says Hain, South Africa
"would have toppled into civil war."
"Mandela is an icon - in my view, the icon
of all international icons, who crosses
boundaries, because he combines this
extraordinary back story of courage, of
leadership, of fortitude," Hain said.
Elsewhere world leaders, pop stars and
companies also pledged their support for
Mandela, reports from news.sky.com said.
"I will also be giving my 67 minutes to
make the world a better place, one small
step at a time," Founder and Chairman of
Virgin Airlines, Sir Richard Branson said.
In the UK, a giant portrait of Mr Mandela's
face has been etched into the English
countryside to celebrate his birthday.
The two-acre maze in corn crops in
Birchington, near Margate, Kent, was the
idea of Karen Botha and Dawn Tilley who
have spent the past five years working on
the design.
Meanwhile, 50 abandoned street children
in the Philippines will get to tour a Manila
television studio and see performances by
local artists.
And the Australian city of Melbourne will
hold a concert featuring local and African
artists at the weekend, while a music
festival later this year in Norway will
promote equality in schools.
Mandela was jailed for 27 years by the
country's white minority government for
resisting apartheid rule.

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