Research Paper On Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandel was once quoted (2015), “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite” (nelsonmandela.org, 2015). Nelson Mandela was a dedicated visionary leader that used his unwavering ethical morals to transform a government from a racially prejudiced apartheid nation to a democratically free one. His refusal to believe in South Africa’s discriminatory apartheid law gave his life a strong sense of purpose to lobby peacefully and sometimes aggressively for equality. Nelson Mandela was a committed leader that stirred South Africa

According to the BCEE Critical Thinking lesson (2014b), “Intellectual courage is having a consciousness of the need to face and fairly address ideas, beliefs or viewpoints toward which we have strong negative emotions and to which we have not given a serious hearing. This courage is connected with the recognition that ideas considered dangerous are sometimes rationally justified and that beliefs instilled in us are sometimes false or misleading” (p. 5). Mandela displayed courage and remained true to his own thinking even though the penalties for nonconformity were severe. While imprisoned, Nelson Mandela continued to deliberately negotiate with South Africa’s government despite the fact he was still behind bars. Mandela’s reflective thinking allowed him to stay in touch with his supporters and make measured political decisions that sought to further their interests in a way that did not impose on the rights of others (BCCE, 2014b, p. 15). Upon his release in 1993, he won the Nobel Peace Prize and in 1994, South Africa held its 1st democratic elections in favor of Nelson Mandela, the country’s first Black President. He ended the apartheid rule & established a new Constitution, with a strong central government based on majority rule and that guaranteed the rights of minorities and the freedom of expression. He died at his home in Johannesburg on 5 December