In Honor of Madela, UN Asks World To Devote 67 Minutes To Public Service

July 15th marks the second annual Nelson Mandela International Day!

In Honor of him, the UN is asking that people around the world perform 67 hours of public service, which represents one minute of every year of Mandela's own service to humanity.

The UN call to take part in public service is part of the "Take Action! Inspire Change" campaign put forth by the Mandela Foundation.

It is in recognition of the South African Leader's contribution as a human rights lawyer, freedom fighter, prisoner, international peace maker and the first democratically-elected president of a free South Africa.

On a separate message sent out, Mr. Ban calls on people everywhere to embrace Mandela's message to change the world. "Tutor a child, find someone less fortunate, care for the enviornment, volunteer at a hospital of community center. Together we can help achieve the dignity and liberty that are our birthright. This is the best way to honor Nelson Mandela."

There is also an interactive exhibit in New York called, "Take Action! Inspire Change." It will soon be displayed in UN Headquarters!

-Gabrielle Gurian

SOURCE: UN NEWS

Gordon Brown Calls for United Global Society

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave a speech at the TED Global Conference addressing the need for greater global connectivity in solving the major problems affecting the world today. He began by calling attention to images that have affected millions of people across the globe and forced them to action. From pictures of Kim, a girl whose back was ruined by napalm in Vietnam, to the video of Neda, an Iranian woman who was killed while demonstrating, Prime Minister Brown explains how compassion compels people to act.

Prime Minister Brown explains, “We now have the capacity to find common ground with people we will never meet but who we will meet through the Internet and through all the modern means of communication, that we now have the capacity to organize and take collective action together to deal with the problem or an injustice that we want to deal with, and I believe that this makes this a unique age in human history, and it is the start of what I would call the creation of a truly global society.”

With the Internet and new technologies, we have the potential to act united as one world to combat challenges from human rights abuses to climate change and financial crises. It is with greater communication and combined efforts that we can prevent future genocides, famines and severe poverty. In ancient Greece, crowds would call out “Let’s march,” following one of Demosthenes’ speeches. Prime Minister Brown asks us now to march toward a global society.
--Jessica Milstead

Source: Ted.com (click here to view his speech)

Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales

Artists for a New South Africa just released an audio book of folktales from Africa to raise funds for South African children impacted by AIDS. The new audio book pays tribute to Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday since he is such an inspirational figure for change in Africa. The audio book brought together artists and actors from around the world to contribute stories for the project. On the three-disk volume, you can hear stories read by actors such as Helen Mirren and Hugh Jackman, as well as songs composed by Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela.

Artists for a New South Africa is working to build multicultural bonds through arts, culture and the quest for social justice. They are providing education to prevent AIDS and working with children orphaned by the disease. Through projects like Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, the project spreads awareness about the impact of AIDS and brings greater connectivity to the global community.
--Jessica Milstead

Source: Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales