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GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Mycroft Holmes5-Dec-13 11:42
professionalMycroft Holmes5-Dec-13 11:42 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
R. Giskard Reventlov5-Dec-13 11:50
R. Giskard Reventlov5-Dec-13 11:50 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Mark H25-Dec-13 13:02
Mark H25-Dec-13 13:02 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
R. Giskard Reventlov5-Dec-13 13:09
R. Giskard Reventlov5-Dec-13 13:09 
GeneralMessage Closed Pin
5-Dec-13 13:45
Bill_Hallahan5-Dec-13 13:45 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Michael Martin5-Dec-13 15:22
professionalMichael Martin5-Dec-13 15:22 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Bill_Hallahan5-Dec-13 15:53
Bill_Hallahan5-Dec-13 15:53 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Bill_Hallahan5-Dec-13 15:45
Bill_Hallahan5-Dec-13 15:45 
mark merrens wrote:
Why?

Because he was a great person who changed where he lived for the better.

mark merrens wrote:
Why is he any more important than anyone else? Why is his loss greater than that of anyone else?

Nobody asserted he was more important than anyone else. He did, however, have more of a positive impact on his local country than most people do.

mark merrens wrote:
What did he do for humanity?

In addition to being a spiritual leader, he systematically opposed the oppresion of black people in South Africa, to the point where his oppressors put him in jail for 27 years. Even there he used communication as a force for good. He became such a symbol that he rose to the presidency, where he continuously improved things.

He lead by speaking the truth.

mark merrens wrote:
Don't see much of a legacy to be proud of in SA: the politicians have changed but there is still grinding poverty and unbridled violence. He was merely an interlude.

Violence is recently on the rise in South Africa, but it is still down 44% since 1995. There is less oppression and much less violence than there once was. I suspect there is less poverty too.

mark merrens wrote:
He was merely an interlude.

No, he made a major changes in South Africa to undo apartheid, so much so that Nelson Mandela and South African President F.W. de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Even when he was young and in college, he was an activist to improve things for his fellow students.

He inspired the creation of the The Nelson Mandela Foundation, The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and The Mandela Rhodes Foundation.

There is more. There's a short biography of him at http://www.biography.com/people/nelson-mandela-9397017

Few people are willing to suffer serious harm to their opportunities, their freedom, and even risk their life to stand up for what is right. He was such a person, and by his activism, he made such major changes to South Africa that the vast majority of people, in, and outside of, his own country, recognize him as a great man.
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Septimus Hedgehog5-Dec-13 21:43
Septimus Hedgehog5-Dec-13 21:43 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
GuyThiebaut5-Dec-13 22:24
professionalGuyThiebaut5-Dec-13 22:24 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Mike Hankey5-Dec-13 12:13
mveMike Hankey5-Dec-13 12:13 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Wonde Tadesse5-Dec-13 13:12
professionalWonde Tadesse5-Dec-13 13:12 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
thatraja5-Dec-13 14:41
professionalthatraja5-Dec-13 14:41 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Rutvik Dave5-Dec-13 18:23
professionalRutvik Dave5-Dec-13 18:23 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Gandalf_TheWhite5-Dec-13 19:19
professionalGandalf_TheWhite5-Dec-13 19:19 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Amol_B5-Dec-13 19:43
professionalAmol_B5-Dec-13 19:43 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
harold aptroot5-Dec-13 21:04
harold aptroot5-Dec-13 21:04 
GeneralRe: RIP Nelson Mandela Pin
Septimus Hedgehog5-Dec-13 21:52
Septimus Hedgehog5-Dec-13 21:52 
GeneralYoutube PinPopular
ednrg5-Dec-13 8:48
ednrg5-Dec-13 8:48 
GeneralRe: Youtube Pin
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr.5-Dec-13 10:37
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr.5-Dec-13 10:37 
GeneralRe: Youtube Pin
Albert Holguin5-Dec-13 11:05
professionalAlbert Holguin5-Dec-13 11:05 
GeneralQuestion about writing articles Pin
User 48350475-Dec-13 7:59
User 48350475-Dec-13 7:59 
GeneralRe: Question about writing articles Pin
Pete O'Hanlon5-Dec-13 8:13
mvePete O'Hanlon5-Dec-13 8:13 
GeneralRe: Question about writing articles Pin
R. Giskard Reventlov5-Dec-13 8:29
R. Giskard Reventlov5-Dec-13 8:29 
GeneralRe: Question about writing articles Pin
#realJSOP5-Dec-13 8:40
professional#realJSOP5-Dec-13 8:40 

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