Mandela quotes:

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I think our politicians could learn a lot from Mandela. -- Clint Eastwood
Nelson Mandela and Malcolm X came out of prison stronger. -- Philip Emeagwali
It's a blessing that South Africa has a man like Nelson Mandela. -- Desmond Tutu
Nelson Mandela is awe inspiring - a person who really sacrificed for what he believed in. I feel truly humbled by him. -- Annie Lennox
When Nelson Mandela walked free, the world sang with joy. Ever since, South Africa has stood as a beacon of hope for Africa. -- Ban Ki-moon
Do you realize, when Mandela was inaugurated president, he invited as his special guests the white jailers from his Robben Island prison? He literally did forgive everybody. -- Rush Limbaugh
I have learned so much from Nelson Mandela, and he has been my leader. He is a perpetual inspiration for me and millions of others around the world. -- Malala Yousafzai
Nelson Mandela will always be the face of South Africa. The traveler passing through the country will see Mandela's face almost everywhere he looks. Truly, the man is omnipresent. -- Henry Rollins
Just look at the great Nelson Mandela. He came out of prison and saved his entire country. Some of the best people in the world have spent time in prison. -- George Foreman
I met Nelson Mandela, and I really didn't know what to say. It was years ago at a benefit. I was just in awe of this man because of what he'd done. -- Robin Williams
It was an honour for me to have been able to work with Mr. Mandela in the process that led to the adoption of the interim constitution and our first democratic elections in April 1994. -- F. W. de Klerk
It was fortunate in looking back for South Africa and its entire people that Mandela and I found it possible to work together even though big strains developed between us from time to time. -- F. W. de Klerk
I have been working for Africans since I was 18, when I got involved with the Nelson Mandela concerts. I got involved with debt cancellation because Desmond Tutu demanded that the world respond to that situation. -- Bono
Mandela was true to himself, to his people and his principles. He sacrificed everything because he was prepared to be true to his ideals. You can relate to him whether you come from Manchester or Soweto. -- Justin Chadwick
From time to time, you have seminal personalities who really change the way the world sees itself - people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela. Warren Buffett is that kind of person in the business world. -- Guy Spier
Mandela's heroism is the heroism of a man who suffered so badly for what he thought of as freedom. And yet when he had the upper hand he has this incredible self-control and these incredible leadership qualities. -- Bono
Before Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962, he was an angry, relatively young man. He founded the ANC's military wing. When he was released, he surprised everyone because he was talking about reconciliation and forgiveness and not about revenge. -- Desmond Tutu
Nelson Mandela is physically separated from us, but his soul and spirit will never die. He belongs to the whole world because he is an icon of equality, freedom and love, the values we need all the time everywhere. -- Malala Yousafzai
The leaders who we admire who have been able to bring great change in the past - Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela - they're all inspirational religious leaders and smart tacticians. It would be nice to find the Muslim Gandhi, wouldn't it? -- Dennis C. Blair
We're trained to see the world in terms of charismatic organizations and charismatic people. That's who we look to for leadership and change, for transformation. We're awaiting the next J.F.K., the next Martin Luther King, the next Gandhi, the next Nelson Mandela. -- Paul Hawken
One individual can begin a movement that turns the tide of history. Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement, Mohandas Ganhi in India, Nelson Mandela in South Africa are examples of people standing up with courage and non-violence to bring about needed changes. -- Jack Canfield
I think there's a mythology that if you want to change the world, you have to be sainted, like Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela or Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Ordinary people with lives that go up and down and around in circles can still contribute to change. -- Jody Williams
It was wicked meeting Nelson Mandela. -- Rio Ferdinand
Nelson Mandela stands as an inspiration to us all -- Kofi Annan
Unsurprisingly, Nelson Mandela had and still has many detractors. -- Henry Rollins
The world thanks you for sharing Nelson Mandela with us. -- Barack Obama
President Mandela was not a hands-on president at any time. -- F. W. de Klerk
Mandela? He lasted 27 years in prison but he never could've done 30. -- Serge Ibaka
After Versace was murdered, the first person to call me was Mandela. -- Naomi Campbell
Nelson Mandela also spoke about how, as a human being, he's made mistakes. -- Kumi Naidoo
[Nelson] Mandela was very keen not to be understood as an exceptional person. -- Kumi Naidoo
Nelson Mandela said: 'It always seems impossible until it's done.' Peace is possible. -- John Bonifaz
Like you do about Nelson Mandela, you can't help feeling the guy's a good man. -- Ralph Steadman
Nelson Mandela can rot in prison until he dies or I die, whichever takes longer. -- P. W. Botha
As a world leader who refused to accept injustice, Nelson Mandela's courage helped change our entire world -- Salil Shetty
History will remember Nelson Mandela as a champion for human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation -- William J. Clinton
Nelson Mandela and myself had a wonderful relationship - he was a special man and will be missed. -- Donald Trump
Don't raise your voice, improve your argument." [Address at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa, 23 November 2004] -- Desmond Tutu
Nelson Mandela is a leader Barack Obama should try to emulate... He could start by spending 27 years in prison. -- Don Imus
What made Nelson Mandela great, was precisely what made him human. We saw in him, what we seek in ourselves. -- Jacob Zuma
One thing we are sure of is there's no one like Nelson Mandela out there. That's too bad for us. -- Kinky Friedman
Mandela's commitment to democracy was ratified not only by his election, but by his willingness to step down from power -- Barack Obama
Nelson Mandela once said "I can't help it if the ladies take note of me; I'm not going to protest." -- Kumi Naidoo
We don't have politicians with dignity and morals. We never have, not since [Nelson] Mandela and [Mahatma ] Gandhi. It's really rare. -- Marina Abramovic
If Mandela were a comedian, I bet he would never get mad at a heckler, he'd give him or her a hug. -- Godfrey
From Gandhi to Mandela, from the American patriot to the Polish shipbuilders, the makers of revolutions have not come from the top. -- Gary Hamel
Why don't we have people like Thich Nhat Hanh or Marshall Rosenberg and Nelson Mandela solving violent situations in a peaceful way? -- Sandra Cisneros
What in Mandela was seen as an almost saintly ability to conciliate could, in a lesser man, be read as weak-kneed populism. -- Mark Gevisser
I believe that anybody with Mandela's capacity to endure hardship and then forgive is a born leader and example to us all. -- Rory McIlroy
Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; a legend in life and now in death - a true global hero -- David Cameron
When my daughter was born, I called her Ella Bella Mandela, because she was born the day after Mandela was released from prison. -- Phil Daniels
The relationship between me and President Mandela right at the beginning was not a very well-established relationship. It was based on two meetings. -- F. W. de Klerk
Mandela's message will never die. It will continue to inspire freedom fighters and give confidence to people who defend just causes and universal rights. -- Francois Hollande
Mandela has played a crucial part in history. He's done some extraordinary things, not only for his country but also for the whole world. -- Zinedine Zidane
Mandela is this extraordinary individual who can inspire the world. Instead of wanting revenge after being brutalized, he showed the world how to forgive. -- Naomie Harris
It was spine tingling, actually, when you saw how people kept saying, "Release Nelson Mandela," and meaning really, "Release all of our political prisoners." -- Desmond Tutu
President Mandela was never scared to admit his own mistakes and then almost jump at the opportunity of apologising and then to move on. -- Zelda la Grange
Obviously because of my personal connection to Mandela and having had his story as part of my childhood, I knew how awesome he was. -- Lenora Crichlow
The legacy of Mandela is to have brought the country together... South Africa can be one of the success stories of the 21st century. -- David Cameron
As a younger person you can come in through many, many gateways. It's like some huge Mandela. You can enter into this and get refreshed. -- Anne Waldman
I think even though he [Nelson Mandela] was feted and praised as he was, he always was at pains to say, I'm a human being. -- Kumi Naidoo
Peace on earth and good will toward men - that is something we need to work on. Like Nelson Mandela, we should learn from him. -- Ian Astbury
I used to do my Nelson Mandela voice to blag restaurant tables in Cape Town. It rarely worked. Now what a great city that is. -- Rory Bremner
Mandela means a lot to the world. He's something special. There's only a few people in the history of mankind with that kind of charisma. -- Ruud Gullit
In Durban, where I was born and grew up, and all over Africa, Nelson Mandela was a hero! Now he is a hero to the world. -- Kumi Naidoo
Reflecting on his years in prison, Nelson Mandela wrote that there were dark moments that tested his faith in humanity, but he refused to give up. -- Barack Obama
My thoughts and love go out to the Mandela family. Rest in peace Madiba. You will be missed, but your impact on this world will live forever. -- Charlize Theron
I like people who are minimalist with their words. Jack Nicholson thinks a lot then says something, and it's always spot on. Nelson Mandela is the same. -- David A. Stewart
Whenever anybody called Nelson Mandela a saint, he would say: "If by saint you mean a sinner who is trying to be better, then I'm a saint." -- Kumi Naidoo
True leaders are willing to die for their dreams. They don't oppress with ignorance; they impress with visions. They live like Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela -- Israelmore Ayivor
True leaders are willing to die for their dreams. They don't oppress with ignorance; they impress with visions". They live like Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela... -- Israelmore Ayivor
I spent a lot of time with President Mandela supporting his efforts in the peace process in Burundi. The thing that impressed me the most was his humility. -- John Prendergast
Nelson Mandela was a man of incomparable honor, unconquerable strength, and unyielding resolve---a saint to many, a hero to all who treasure liberty, freedom and the dignity of humankind. -- Morgan Freeman
Don't wait for a Gandhi, don't wait for a King, don't wait for a Mandela. You are your own Mandela, you are your own Gandhi, you are your own King. -- Leymah Gbowee
Nelson Mandela is, for me, the single statesman in the world. The single statesman, in that literal sense, who is not solving all his problems with guns. It's truly unbelievable. -- Toni Morrison
Mandela is just the eternal man. You want that man to be around forever. It's the closest thing we have to God, I think. He's the father of mankind, almost. -- Anton Corbijn
A lot of controversy over this possible invasion of Iraq. In fact, Nelson Mandela was so upset, he called Bush's dad. How embarrassing, when world leaders start calling your father. -- Jay Leno
Mandela stands alone in possessing all of the qualities of other great men, but has one quality which is transcendent... his ability to forgive and to place others above himself. -- Kevin Allen
My greatest hero is Nelson Mandela. What a man. Incarcerated for 25 years, he was released in 1990 and he hasn't reoffended. I think he's going straight, which shows you prison does work. -- Ricky Gervais
It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa, that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela. -- Barack Obama
Because Mr. Mandela's early opponents invested so many resources into distorting the true nature of his advocacy, the singular historic moment millions now celebrate could have been tragically lost to guerrilla decontextualization. -- Aberjhani
[Meeting Mandela] was the highlight of my career; to meet such a great man and a strong man and such a passionate man about sport and life will always stay with me. -- David Beckham
What an honor it was to step into the shoes of Nelson Mandela and portray a man who defied odds, broke down barriers, and championed human rights before the eyes of the world. -- Idris Elba
Leaving golf aside for the moment, I'd choose Roger Federer as a sporting role model, Muhammad Ali for a sporting and non-sporting role model and Nelson Mandela as a true and lasting inspiration. -- Rory McIlroy
One of them would definitely be the Nelson Mandela gig, when I played the tribute song for him. He was up and dancing, and he really enjoyed it. It was a really lovely occasion. -- Joan Armatrading
Former South Africa President Nelson Mandela announced Tuesday he will begin writing his autobiography. He spent 25 years in prison before being elected to public office. In America, we do it the other way around. -- Argus Hamilton
As president, I watched in wonder as Nelson Mandela had the remarkable capacity to forgive his jailers following 26 years of wrongful imprisonment - setting a powerful example of redemption and grace for us all. -- George H. W. Bush
I've tended to lean more toward the Dalai Lama and people like Russell Means who have been my political and spiritual North Stars, but I certainly regard Nelson Mandela with great respect and humility. -- Ian Astbury
Of course, Nelson Mandela, everybody knows Nelson Mandela. I mean, he's a great gift not only for Africa but for the whole world, actually. But do not expect everybody to be a Nelson Mandela. -- Mo Ibrahim
Nelson Mandela was an outstanding leader and a mentor for me. I was in South Africa at the time he was released. I was in South Africa when he was inaugurated as the first president. -- Gail Kelly
We have a revolutionary history to honor and uphold. Which was what Nelson Mandela did. He reminded us of that which we need to be reminded, over and over again, about our own best selves. -- Charlie Pierce
I had the honor to meet Nelson Mandela, and I heard him explain his forgiveness of his captors of 27 years by saying hatred and bitterness is destructive - the power is in love and forgiveness. -- Dick Gephardt
I heard somebody say, 'Where's (Nelson) Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead. Because Saddam killed all the Mandelas. --George W. Bush, on the former South African president, who is still very much alive, Washington, D.C., Sept. 20, 2007 -- George W. Bush
This sympathy is not translated into force against the British government because it is not like the anti- apartheid movement which had a high profile here and Mandela is a more engaging figure than Yasser Arafat. -- Tom Paulin
I think the most moving part of my trip [to Africa] so far was seeing 92-year-old Nelson Mandela, and just thinking about his life. This man has lived through a struggle that few nations have known. -- Michelle Obama
I have always had great respect for former president Mandela. The personal sacrifices he made in order to achieve what was right for the people of South Africa is something I carry with me every day. -- Aaron Schock
Around the world, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela -- what they did was hard. It takes time. It takes more than a single term. It takes more than a single president. It takes more than a single individual. -- Barack Obama
Our human compassion binds us the one to the other - not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future." -Nelson Mandela -- Michael Gallegos Borresen
By the way, I don't mean to pick nits here, but Obama has just ordered the flag at half-mast for 10 days for Mandela. He did not order the flag at half-mast at all for Lady Thatcher. -- Rush Limbaugh
Retaliation retards your excellence. Nelson Mandela would not have been named as a great man if not for his courage to forgive those who schemed and plotted it for him to spend those 10000 bitter days in prison. -- Israelmore Ayivor
Nelson Mandela was just a human being, a person like other people, and everyone relaxed. Within a minute, that sort of thing about the leader and the lead, the gap was closed, and that's a rare thing. -- Kumi Naidoo
Nelson's Mandela own sense of himself was a very humble reading, [different] from how the world read him. And, quite often, you had the sense that he was not comfortable with all the accolades that would be. -- Kumi Naidoo
It was deeply important for me to understand where Mandela came from. Because we know where he was going, and that's a famous story, but who was he? Where did he come from? What was his upbringing? -- Idris Elba
There were only 3 people that I wanted to meet in life, Nelson Mandela was one of them. What a life, what a journey, what a man. Thank you for passing this way! God bless your resting soul! -- Tyler Perry
It is of vital importance to [Mandela] to be courteous and grateful at all times, as we never know whether we will have the opportunity to thank people or pay respect whenever they have been good to you. -- Zelda la Grange
One of the things that I noticed with my own eyes was Nelson Mandela ability to engage with kings and queens and heads of state on the one hand, and his ability to engage with ordinary people, equally comfortably. -- Kumi Naidoo
When I first met Mandela, we did not discuss anything of substance; we just felt each other out. He spent a long time expressing his admiration for the Boer generals and how ingenious they were during the Anglo-Boer war. -- F. W. de Klerk
What I will remember most about Mr Mandela is that he was a man whose heart, soul and spirit could not be contained or restrained by racial and economic injustices, metal bars or the burden of hate and revenge. -- Muhammad Ali
In life, purpose is defined by the thing that makes you angry. Martin Luther was angry; Mandela was angry; Mahatma Gandhi was angry; Mother Teresa was angry. If you are not angry, you do not have a ministry yet. -- Myles Munroe
When I went to lobby Nelson Mandela while the post-apartheid constitution was being drafted, I asked him to endorse making it illegal to discriminate on grounds of sexuality. I'd been warned that he might giggle if I mentioned homosexuality. -- Ian Mckellen
President Obama compared himself to Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in the struggle to bring about change. The comparison is flawed. They spent years in jail before taking political power, while politicians from Chicago do it the other way around. -- Argus Hamilton
My job is not done. I address my songs now to the third world. I am popular all over Asia and Africa and the Middle East, not to speak of South Africa, where I'm trying to go to see Nelson Mandela. -- Nina Simone
The political, social, and spiritual impact of the life example set by Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela might be measured in part by the profound and unique gestures made by people in different countries to honor his life upon learning of his death. -- Aberjhani
Don't talk to me about what's happened since [Nelson] Mandela! His successor was absolutely hopeless - "no such thing as AIDS" - and this present President... It's a tragedy, you know, what's happened there post-Mandela, because he was an iconic figure. -- Bob Hawke
The first time I was privileged to meet president Mandela was during his visit to Malawi... shortly after he was released from prison. I was amazed by his humility and his great sense of leadership... Mandela's character has shaped my life. -- Joyce Banda
If I am to choose between sleeping and being part of a leadership that pursues irrelevant agenda, I will choose sleeping. Chasing of irrelevant agenda by a leadership sect is what made Nelson Mandela to call it Long Walk to Freedom! -- Israelmore Ayivor
As far as those kinds of things, I also played at the concert to call for the release of Nelson Mandela when he was a political prisoner in South Africa. We were celebrating his 70th birthday and calling for his release. -- Jackson Browne
Nelson Mandela is my hero outside of football. I was fortunate enough to meet him a couple of times. He was really clued up on his football and he knew me, so that was just unbelievable. It really stuck with me. -- Ryan Giggs
Those 10000 days in prison, but this never made Nelson Mandela to leave what he was doing. He loved what he did and he would repeat to again if he had been arrested again and imprisoned again! He has his bigger picture in view! -- Israelmore Ayivor
I was 15 years old when I first heard the name Mandela, or Madiba, as he is fondly known in Africa. In apartheid South Africa he was public enemy number one. Shrouded in secrecy, myth and rumour, the media called him 'The Black Pimpernel'. -- Kumi Naidoo

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