5 Madiba Quotes to Reflect on this Mandela Day

Former South African president Nelson Mandela has become an international beacon of public service; he sacrificed 27 years of his life, serving a prison term for the liberation of his people.This is why the United Nations took the decision to declare his birthday, June 18, Nelson Mandela International Day – a day to honour the legacy of the Nobel Prize winner, and his values, through volunteering and community service.

There can be no better service to humankind than the protection of the environment, so we have put together a list of five Nelson Mandela quotes to get you thinking about the environment this Mandela Day.

Africa’s rich natural landscape is unlike any other in the world. It is the true inheritance of future generations and should be protected from self-serving multinationals, whose only aim is to rob us of our wealth.

Here, the global icon speaks about hope and belief in a better future – however, it can be interpreted in another way too… if we ignore threats to the better future we envision, we can’t adequately prepare a response. This one applies to climate change denialists, especially.

We cannot afford to wait for others to stand up for our environment – as nobody stands to lose more than we do. It is our duty to be proactive in the battle to protect Africa’s natural environment.

The right to a healthy environment is a crucial human right because it directly impacts our quality of life. Often, it is the most vulnerable that suffers most in the face of environmental abuse.

The realities of climate change are becoming more and more evident as global weather patterns increasingly geared toward the extreme. For the sake of generations to come, it is important for us to take a stand right now.