67 Minutes: Mandela Day 2013 Events Across the World
From Brooklyn to Bolivia, check out this year's events.
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Honoring Mandela Through Service - Since 2009, when the United Nations officially declared Nelson Mandela’s July 18 birthdate as Mandela Day, the global community has honored the anti-apartheid hero and his legacy through volunteering and community service. Because Mandela fought for social justice in South Africa for 67 years, participants are encouraged to dedicate 67 minutes to fighting poverty and promoting peace. How will you serve? Keep reading to learn about several Mandela Day 2013 events happening around the world. — Patrice Peck(Photo: Mandela Day)
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Dare to Dream Mandela — Brooklyn, NY - World champion dancer and founder of the Dare to Dream Movement Paul Modjadji will hold dance classes for young people in Brooklyn. “Teaching African dance to the youth in New York is Paul’s way of extending the principle of Ubuntu [that] Madiba embodies,” reads a flyer posted on Modjadji’s Facebook page. For more details, contact the organizer. (Photo: Dare to Dream Movement via Facebook)
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Foundation Aprendizaje en Acción Celebrates Mandela Day — Santa Cruz, Bolivia - From July 18 through July 19, the non-governmental organization Foundation Aprendizaje en Acción will host inter-cultural events featuring art, live music and talks on diversity to celebrate Madiba’s birthday. "The message of Mandela is omnipresent; his legacy is the one of genuine leadership and symbol of persistence in the struggle for justice social inclusion,” said AEA’s director. (Photo: REUTERS/Jose Luis Quintana)
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Bikers for Mandela Day — Bloemfontein, South Africa - Departing from the University of Free State, local bikers will ride out to Mangaung, Heidedal and Brandhof to spend 67 minutes cleaning streets in the community. Afterwards, they will return to the University to participate in the school’s No Student Hungry campaign, an initiative to raise funds to provide food stipends to underprivileged students. (Photo: RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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Madiba Forever With Cake Extreme — Gauteng, South Africa - Cake Extreme, a South Africa-based bakery specializing in custom made treats, will reveal the official Mandela cake at the Sun International Carnival City Casino on Thursday evening. Standing almost 8-feet-tall, the pastry will display a replica of Carnival City and a life-size statue of Nelson Mandela. Contact Cake Extreme for more information. (Photo: Reuters Photographer / Reuters)
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Hands Across South Africa — Worldwide - South African radio personality Gareth Cliff and the 5FM team are urging everyone — both South African-based and abroad — to join hands for 67 seconds as a gesture of unity and commitment to making South Africa a better place. The Soweto Gospel Choir will also honor Mandela in song. Listen on 5FM or follow on Twitter and Facebook for the cue to hold hands at 8:45 a.m. SAST. (Photo: Bonile Bam/ GettyImages)
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Philippines Celebrates Mandela Day — Manila, Philippines - Childhope Asia Philippines and various international and local sponsors will celebrate Mandela Day alongside 50 abandoned street children from the Metro Manila area. Recreational activities such as a television studio tour, arts and crafts workshops, puppet shows, live music performances and a donation distribution will be provided. For more information, contact the organization. (Photo: Courtesy Childhope Asia Philippines via Facebook)
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The Fashion District Mandela Day Human Chain — Johannesburg, South Africa - At the second annual Fashion District Mandela Day Human Chain, SEWAFRICA Fashion College and the Fashion District Institute are joining the Sisters of Mercy shelter home to spearhead a mass clothing and food drive. Once the items have been collected, community members will then form a human chain, delivering the items from person to person to the shelter for 67 minutes. For more details, contact the organizers. (Photo: GettyImages)
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Toronto Honors Nelson Mandela International Day — Toronto - The Nelson Mandela Park Public School will celebrate their namesake with family activities, arts and crafts, and live stage performances by Amanda Martinez and others. Canadian athletes and local children will also sing South Africa’s national anthem. The event takes place at the school from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET, with a worldwide applause ceremony occurring via live stream at 1:45 p.m. (Photo: Courtesy Amanda Martinez)
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Knit-A-Square Supports Mandela — Worldwide - The charity-knitting group Knit-A-Square will provide impoverished South African children with colorful quilts, all crafted from crocheted and knitted squares sent from more than 60 countries across the world. Each KAS member was encouraged to spend 67 minutes making the square. The group has distributed over 20,000 blankets and other hand-knitted items since starting in 2009. (Photo: Courtesy Knit-a-square via Facebook)
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The March Continues — Montgomery, Alabama - To link the sacrifices of the American Civil Rights Movement to on-going civil and human rights movements across the globe, the Civil Rights Memorial Center is offering free all-day admission, screening Nelson Mandela’s documentary film and holding a post-film discussion with Rosa Parks Museum director Georgette Norman. (Photo: Wikicommons)
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Seventh Graders Celebrate Mandela Day — Guatemala City, Guatemala - Having recently read Nelson Mandela’s biography, 7th grade students at Colegio Nuevo Amancer (New Dawn Special School) will deliver food, water supplies, clothes, books and toys to a local foster home for Mandela Day. The students also plan on playing games with the children, as well as eating snacks and enjoying other fun activities. (Photo: Jorge Silva / Reuters)
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67 AMRAP Workout — Pretoria, South Africa - To encourage healthy and active lifestyles, Limitless Training is hosting a 67-minute high-intensity workout class, beginning with a two-mile run, 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 300 squats and more. If participants finish the full round, they must repeat from the top. Fees from the class and additional donations will be distributed to a local children’s charity. For more details, contact the organizers. (Photo: GettyImages)
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Mandela Garden of 95 Trees — Asaba, Nigeria - To commemorate Mandela’s 95th birthday, Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE) and the local government are inviting local volunteers to spend 67 minutes planting and watering trees, picking up litter and helping to create the Mandela garden in the Asaba International Airport. (Photo: Blend Images/GettyImages)