Nelson Mandela Day 2025: History, Significance And 10 Quotes That Inspire Change
Nelson Mandela International Day honours the remarkable legacy of the South African leader. Mandela, who led a peaceful and resilient protest against the oppressive apartheid regime, was a picture of South Africa's brave movement against colour bias and injustice.
He became South Africa's first democratically elected president from 1994 to 1999 . Mandela's courageous 27-year jail struggle and journey of upholding human rights, standing up for social justice and equality continue to inspire the world.
Nelson Mandela International Day: History
In 2009, the United Nations decided to mark July 18 as the Nelson Mandela International Day to celebrate the 67 years of Mandela's public service and unwavering commitment towards establishing freedom, justice and human rights in the rainbow nation that had a history of inhuman racial discrimination against the black Africans.
Mandela, who led a peaceful and resilient protest against the inhumane white narcissistic regime, was a great activist and became South Africa's first democratically elected president.
Nelson Mandela International Day 2025: A Message Of Peace
The Nelson Mandela International Day is used as a means to spread the message of peace, reconciliation and equality across the globe.
On 27 April 2009, the 46664 concerts and the Nelson Mandela Foundation invited the global community to join hands in officially establishing a Mandela Day to honour the great politician.
It is not meant as a public holiday in South Africa or anywhere in the world, but a day to remember Mandela and imbibe his qualities through contributions in noble causes for community service, echoing the message: one man can make a difference.
Nelson Mandela International Day 2025: Quotes
'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
'It always seems impossible until it's done."
'Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."
'A winner is a dreamer who never gives up."
'I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."
'What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others."
'To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."
'Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies."
'Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do."
'Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished."
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July 18, 2025, 07:20 IST
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The Wire
33 minutes ago
- The Wire
India Escalates Concerns at UN: Gaza Needs Ceasefire, Not 'Intermittent Pauses'
New Delhi: India on July 24 called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning that the 'ongoing human suffering must not be allowed to continue' and stressing that civilians are facing 'acute shortages' of food, as well as a lack of access to health care and education. The remarks were delivered by India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, P. Harish, during the UN Security Council's quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East. The meeting was held amid growing international concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hunger and restricted aid access have triggered alarm among governments and humanitarian agencies. As in previous statements, India did not name Israel directly. However, Wednesday's intervention probably marked New Delhi's most forceful public expression of concern about the humanitarian toll since the conflict began. India's votes Last month, India abstained from a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access. Although India said it supported the resolution's key points, it cited the need for 'dialogue and diplomacy' as its reason for abstaining. India was among only 19 countries that abstained, while 149 supported the resolution. India's vote has stirred sharp criticism from opposition parties, who accused the government, known for its close diplomatic relations with Prime Minister Netanyahu's administration, of abandoning India's traditional foreign policy stance. 'Pauses not enough' More than a month later, India reiterated its position but raised the tone of concern on the worsening humanitarian situation. 'Today's meeting takes place against the backdrop of a persisting humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the scale of humanitarian challenges confronting the people, who grapple daily with acute shortages of food and fuel, inadequate medical services and lack of access to education,' said Harish. He underlined that the collapse of services was especially stark in the health and education sectors. 'WHO estimates that around 95% of all hospitals in Gaza are damaged or destroyed. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that more than 650,000 children have had no schooling for over 20 months,' he said. Militarising aid According to UN records, more than 875 people have been killed over six weeks in shootings by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians trying to reach food distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The private foundation, backed by the US and Israel, has been criticised for lacking neutrality and for militarising the delivery of aid. There is growing concern over rising deaths due to starvation. According to Gaza health ministry, at least 113 starvation-related deaths have been recorded so far. On July 21, 28 countries, including UK, Japan and Australia, issued a joint statement describing Israel's aid delivery model as 'dangerous'. The statement condemned ' the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food'. Two days later, over 100 aid agencies released a joint letter calling for unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance. 'The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime,' the statement said. Four major news organisations, AFP, BBC News, Reuters and Associated Press, also issued a rare joint expression of concern, s tating that they were 'desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families'. 'No other fixes' At the UNSC meeting, India's ambassador reiterated New Delhi's position that 'ongoing human suffering must not be allowed to continue' and stressed that 'humanitarian assistance needs to be facilitated in a safe, sustained and timely manner'. 'There is no substitute to peace. A ceasefire must be put in place. All hostages must be released. Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable paths to achieving these objectives. There are no other fixes or solutions,' Harish stated. He also noted that India shared 'historic and strong ties with our Palestinian brothers and sisters'. 'We have always stood by them and our commitment towards the Palestinian cause is unwavering. We were the first non-Arab country to recognize the State of Palestine. We support the Palestinian people in various ways, directly and through our support to other organizations such as UNRWA,' he said, adding that India is implementing projects valued at more than $40 million in Palestine. Reaffirming India's support for a two-state solution, Harish expressed hope that next week's High-Level International Conference on its implementation would lead to concrete steps towards realising that goal. 'In conclusion, India underscores its readiness to contribute to efforts aimed at shaping a political horizon that restores hope for the Palestinians and brings lasting peace to the Middle East,' he said. 'Only a trickle' Meanwhile, the Israeli permanent representative Danny Danon accused the UN was misrepresenting the situation and claimed that hundreds of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) employees were undergoing security vetting, with some personnel facing denial of permit renewals due to 'strong affiliation with Hamas'. He said the head of OCHA's Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory would not have his visa renewed and must leave by July 29. At a media briefing in New York, UN Secretary-General's spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Israeli authorities alone decide what aid enters Gaza and under what conditions. 'All too often, civilians approaching our trucks are shot at,' he said. 'To collect supplies safely, we must get reliable assurances that troops would not engage or be present along the routes of our convoys.' He added that the aid entering Gaza is 'only a trickle compared to the immense needs' and reiterated that 'above all, we need a ceasefire to put an end to this devastating situation'. Responding to Israeli threats against OCHA, Dujarric affirmed the UN's full confidence in the agency's professionalism and impartial work. 'Any punitive measures will only add to the obstacles preventing us from reaching people facing hunger, displacement and deprivation,' he said.
NDTV
43 minutes ago
- NDTV
"From Having Everything To Nothing": How 2 Families Crossed War-Torn Gaza
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Israel's war in Gaza has left much of the enclave in ruins and its people desperate from hunger. It was triggered by an attack by Islamist group Hamas - which governs the Strip - on Israeli border communities on October 7, 2023 that killed some 1,200 people and took 250 hostage. Before the war, Nizar and his wife Amal, four years his junior, had a happy life in Shejaia, a teeming district in the east of Gaza City. Their eldest Adam is 12; the youngest, Youssef, a baby. Photographs, seen by Reuters, show family parties at home and days at the beach. "When the October 7 attack happened, I knew it wouldn't be something good for us," Nizar said. They left home the next day for Amal's mother's house further south in Zahra, he said. Five days later Israel began ordering civilians in northern Gaza to move south and, on October 27, it launched a ground invasion. 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In April, Israel issued an evacuation order and the Bakrons went further south to Rafah on the border with Egypt where there was more to eat. They loaded the car and a trailer with mattresses, clothes, kitchen equipment and a solar panel and drove 15 miles along roads lined with ruins. In Rafah, they squeezed into a classroom of a UN school which they shared with Nizar's two brothers and their families - about 20 people. Their savings were quickly disappearing. Weeks later, a new Israeli evacuation order moved them to Khan Younis, a few kilometers away, and another crowded classroom. In January, a ceasefire allowed them to move back north to Nuseirat, where the family had land. They cleared a room in a damaged building to live in. "We thought things would get better," Nizar said. But, after less than two months, the ceasefire collapsed on March 18. Two days later, Bakron's sister, her husband and two daughters were killed in an airstrike in Khan Younis, he said. As Israeli operations escalated, the family fled to Gaza City. They pitched a tent - the first time they had to live in one - against a building on Wehda Street, a central district. On May 25, as most of the family slept, Nizar was sitting outside, talking on the phone, when an airstrike hit and the building collapsed. He pulled away the debris but Olina and Rebhi were dead. His wife Amal and eldest Adam were injured, and the baby Youssef's leg was broken. Nizar does not know how they can move again. The family is in mourning and their car was damaged in the strike, he said. The UN estimates nearly 90% of Gaza's territory is covered by Israeli evacuation orders or within Israeli militarized zones, leaving the population squeezed into two swathes of land where food is increasingly scarce. Israel says restrictions on aid are needed to prevent it being diverted to Hamas. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday Gaza is suffering from man-made starvation. Amal, who still has bruising on her face and wears a brace upon her arm after the attack, grieves for her two children: "My life changed, from having everything to having nothing, after being displaced." "We Fear Our Lives" Majed al-Bareem, 32, was a teacher before the war in Bani Suheila, a town east of Khan Younis. He and his wife Samia, 27, have a two-year-old son, Samir. They lived in a pretty two-storey house with an external staircase that had plants in pots running up the steps. During Israel's initial offensive, which was focused on northern Gaza, the family stayed put. But early in 2024, Israeli forces pushed into Khan Younis and the Bareems fled their home. They learned afterwards it had been destroyed. "I had a beautiful house which we built with our sweat and effort," Majed said. He showed Reuters photos of the ruins. They went to Rafah with Majed's mother, Alyah, 62 and his three sisters. The youngest, Rafah, 19, has Down Syndrome. Days before they left Khan Younis, his eldest sister's husband was shot dead. Her son, Joud, nine, is in a wheelchair. At first, the family stayed in a tent provided by UN aid agencies in a district called Nasr in northern Rafah. Three months later, Israel ordered civilians to evacuate and the family left for Mawasi, a rural area nearby where displacement camps were growing, he said. Although Israel's military had designated Mawasi a safe zone, it struck it throughout the summer, killing scores of people, according to local health authorities. Israel said it was targeting militants hiding in the area. Since the two-month ceasefire ended in March the family has moved repeatedly - so often that Majed said he lost count - between Bani Suheila, Khan Younis and Mawasi. "We fear for our lives so, as soon as they order us to leave, we do so," he said. Crossing Gaza's ruined streets with a wheelchair has added to the difficulty. During one journey in May, he and Joud were separated from the family. It took them four hours to travel the five miles to Mawasi along roads littered with debris. "It was exhausting and scary because we could hear gunfire and bombing," he said. The family is currently in a tent in Mawasi. Their savings are nearly gone and they can only rarely afford extra rations to supplement the little they get from charitable kitchens. "We are tired of displacement. We are tired of lack of food," said Majed's mother, Alyah. Last week, Majed went to Bani Suheila hoping to buy some flour. A shell landed nearby, wounding him in the torso with a shrapnel fragment, he said. It was removed in hospital but left him weak. With Israel and Hamas conducting ceasefire negotiations, the United States has voiced optimism about a deal. Majed says the renewed talks have given him some hope, but he fears they will fall apart, like previous attempts. "I don't think anyone can bear what we are bearing," he said. "It has been two years of the war, hunger, killing, destruction and displacement." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Satcom to enhance connectivity, contribute to achieving UN SDG goals: TRAI chairman
NEW DELHI: Satellites can potentially enhance connectivity beyond India's urban region and contribute to helping India achieve the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, according to AK Lahoti, chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( TRAI ). 'The promotion of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) is seen as a transformative step to enhance connectivity beyond terrestrial reach and foster innovation. Space technology has the potential to contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals ,' Lahoti said on Thursday at the ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI) Space Policy Conference 2025 (ISPC-25). Satellites can contribute to the achievement of SDGs by providing data and enabling communications and connectivity and remote and far-flung regions. The technology facilitates agencies and regulators to monitor progress, make data-backed decisions, and drive sustainable development initiatives, according to the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA). As per the Brussels-headquartered industry association, the satellite industry can bring an estimated $250 billion in social and economic benefits globally by 2030. Lahoti further said that the Indian Space Policy, 2023, has enabled increased participation of private players and startups across the entire ecosystem and opened up a level-playing field for non-governmental entities. He said the telecom regulator's recently released satcom recommendations are 'balanced', taking into account the requirements of all stakeholders. TRAI, in May, recommended administrative allocation of satcom spectrum with a fee pegged amounting to 4% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR), for a five-year term, which can be extended by another 2 years. The 4% AGR fee applies to both geostationary and non-geostationary satellite operators. 'We believe that this is a very balanced recommendation, which will benefit benefit the sector and yet take care of the interests of all the stakeholders,' he said. 'Overall, we hope these recommendations will be a significant step to ensuring the growth of India's satellite broadband ecosystem and support national digital inclusion goals,' Lahoti added. Revathi Mannepalli, joint wireless advisor, and member (radio regulatory board), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in turn, said that the Telecommunication Act, 2024, has modernised the regulation of the sector, and aims to enhance ease-of-doing-business, promote and development, and bridge the digital divide. 'TRAI has already provided recommendations on it (satcom). DoT is working on it, and probably soon will be coming up with the rules and regulations on that,' she added. Isabelle Mauro, director-general, GSOA, said that India has made significant progress in streamlining and centralising space activities. 'We must continue to adhere to these standardised procedures as we provide the certainty needed for industry investment, and for innovation,' Mauro added, noting that assignment and pricing debates over the last few years have delayed the rollout of satellite services and impacted their role in bridging the digital divide. 'The services are now ready, and we must now concentrate on facilitating deployment, including focusing on blanket licensing approaches to streamline procedures and on approvals of these sites,' according to Mauro. The harmonisation of spectrum, mutual recognition and type approval of user channels will all contribute to economies of scale and lower the pricing of deploying user equipment, 'hence benefitting customers', she added. GSOA's members include the Eutelsat Group, Airbus, Echostar, AST SpaceMobile, SES, Viasat, and others.
