Nelson Mandela's Birthday Gift To The Planet

Posted on July 20, 2009 - 2:35pm by jaclyn This past Saturday, Nelson Mandela celebrated his 91st birthday in South Africa while a benefit concert went on in New York for 46664, Mandela's HIV/AIDS awareness & prevention campaign. And the best gift, besides the many impressions Mandela has marked on this Earth, was his repeated call for our world to unite in volunteerism.

[caption id="attachment_46109" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="AP Photo Debbie Yazbek/Nelson Mandela Foundation"][/caption]

According to the website, www.46664.com, "four, double six, six four was Nelson Mandela’s prison number when he was imprisoned on Robben Island, off Cape Town in South Africa. He was jailed in 1964 for 27 years for leading the liberation movement against apartheid and for his impassioned stance on the rights of everyone to live in freedom. He was prisoner number 466, imprisoned in 1964. The Robben Island prisoners were never referred to by their names, but rather by their numbers and year of imprisonment – hence 46664 was Mr Mandela’s number......It was for precisely this reason that Mr Mandela decided to use this powerful, symbolic number in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Through this simple, poignant means he has demonstrated and communicated to the world that people must never be reduced to simple numbers – we are human beings, all equal, and those infected and living with HIV/AIDS have the same right to live and to be treated as equals.
He famously handed over the fight at a concert in Hyde Park, London, in 2008, with the words 'It’s in our hands.'"

[caption id="attachment_46113" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Art created by Nelson Mandela"][/caption]

The NY Times reported that performances at the benefit included Wil.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, who brought up the issue of global warming, while Wyclef Jean brought up the issue of genocide in Rwanda.

[caption id="attachment_46121" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Wyclef Jean performs in Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday."][/caption]

Despite all of our advancements in technology, we continue to read and hear about these issues, which is why understanding your impact is vital.

Being Green is being aware and making conscious choices. It's in the causes and artists you support, the products you purchase, how you give back to your community, and, in this case, it's the impact we can make on our world. So the next time you walk out the door ready to face the day, just remember -- like Nelson Mandela says, "It's in our hands." Even one sustainable choice can make a difference.

Happy belated birthday, Mr. Mandela, from the Hollywire Green Scene.