【Dear Utol (2025): TBrgy. Chairman Episode 39】

Today would have Dear Utol (2025): TBrgy. Chairman Episode 39been Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday.

The South African political leader, who died in 2013, fought against apartheid in South Africa, had a long history of public service, and believed in eradicating poverty.

People are celebrating his legacy with #MandelaDay, a social media campaign to inspire positive change in our world. Luminaries like Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Bill Gates are posting their memories of Mandela, alongwith their own take on the message that each person has the ability and responsibility to make positive difference in the world.

As people all across the world celebrate Mandela's legacy, here are four things you can do to help keep Mandela's mission alive:

1. Sign up to volunteer

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Mandela was known for his dedication to public service. To honor his commitment to helping others, South Africans are pledging 67 minutes of their time to volunteering — one minute for every year of his public service.

If you don't know where to start, you can look for global volunteer opportunities by checking Habitat for Humanity, Volunteer Match, and UN Volunteers.

2. Take immediate action

Finding time to volunteer can be difficult, but there are small ways you can start to make a difference:

• Plan to donate a portion of your yearly income to causes that are important to you. Think of a manageable percentage today, and encourage others to do the same.

• Grant small loans to people who don't have access to traditional banking systems. Websites like Kiva allow people to lend as little as $25 to individuals and groups across five continents.

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3. Work to improve prison conditions

Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his political activism against the South African Apartheid government. Confined to a small cell, with the floor for his bed and a bucket for a toilet, Mandela was allowed only one visitor a year for 30 minutes.

The Center for Prison Reform is a helpful resource if you want to start to learn about ways to change U.S. prison policy and improve the criminal justice system. U.S. prisons are often overcrowded and the justice system falls short in preparing inmates for life outside prison walls. The site also has a list of sister organizations that you can see here.

4. Participate in racial justice conversations

Though Nelson Mandela lived to see the end of apartheid, he did not see the end of its effects. In South Africa and elsewhere, like in the U.S., past racist laws continue to reverberate into our present. Consider learning more about groups working to address living racial inequality in the United States such as Black Lives Matter, My Brother's Keeper, and Black Women's Blueprint.

These are just some of the few directions you can take to begin engaging in your community. As broad as it is, the message behind Mandela Day is a powerful one. The hope is for anyone, in whatever capacity they can, to believe in their ability to make a difference.

"It is easy to break down and destroy," Mandela said upon joining the African National Congress, "The heroes are those who make and build peace."