Nelson Mandela Quotes
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We stand here today as nothing more than a representative of the millions of our people who dared to rise up against a social system whose very essence is war, violence, racism, oppression, repression and the impoverishment of an entire people.
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The Gandhian influence dominated freedom struggles on the African continent right up to the 1960s because of the power it generated and the unity it forged among the apparently powerless. Nonviolence was the official stance of all major African coalitions, and the South African A.N.C. remained implacably opposed to violence for most of its existence.
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I cannot conceive of Israel withdrawing if Arab states do not recognize Israel, within secure borders.
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If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America.
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Without education, your children can never really meet the challenges they will face. So it's very important to give children education and explain that they should play a role for their country.
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Gandhi himself never ruled out violence absolutely and unreservedly. He conceded the necessity of arms in certain situations. He said, 'Where choice is set between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence... I prefer to use arms in defense of honor rather than remain the vile witness of dishonor ...'
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There is nothing I fear more than waking up without a program that will help me bring a little happiness to those with no resources, those who are poor, illiterate, and ridden with terminal disease.
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If the United States of America or Britain is having elections, they don't ask for observers from Africa or from Asia. But when we have elections, they want observers.
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The United States has made serious mistakes in the conduct of its foreign affairs, which have had unfortunate repercussions long after the decisions were taken.
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The names of those who were incarcerated on Robben Island is a roll call of resistance fighters and democrats spanning over three centuries. If indeed this is a Cape of Good Hope, that hope owes much to the spirit of that legion of fighters and others of their calibre.
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When the history of our times is written, will we be remembered as the generation that turned our backs in a moment of global crisis or will it be recorded that we did the right thing?
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I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.
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Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves.
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Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end.
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When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.
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Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.
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I have always regarded myself, in the first place, as an African patriot.
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I had no specific belief except that our cause was just, was very strong and it was winning more and more support.
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It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.
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After one has been in prison, it is the small things that one appreciates: being able to take a walk whenever one wants, going into a shop and buying a newspaper, speaking or choosing to remain silent. The simple act of being able to control one's person.
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There is no such thing as part freedom.
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I should tie myself to no particular system of society other than of socialism.
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If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
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I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.