#Arete67: Arete Unites Behind Community Heroes for Nelson Mandela Day
“It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.”
– Nelson Mandela
In 1990 his story inspired communities around the world to rally for his release from prison. In 1994 people once again united around him to force an end to the brutal system of apartheid. Nearly three decades later the legacy of South Africa’s great anti-apartheid leader, and first black President, remains as inspiring as ever
Having suffered unspeakable brutality during his 27 years spent behind bars, with 18 years spent on the notorious Robben Island, Mandela’s desire to find peaceful solutions, his relentless perseverance, determination, and benevolent & understanding approach to change, all remain powerful symbols of human capacity for good.
His legacy lives on in many forms; the United Nations has designated Nelson Mandela Day, which falls every year on Nelson Mandela’s birthday — July 18th.
The day was first designated in 2009 and Mandela used the opportunity to reiterate his cause.
“It is in your hands to make of the world a better place. And so, every year on Mandela Day, we ask people around the world to take action and inspire change by making a difference in their communities”
– Nelson Mandela July 18th 2009.
My 67 Minutes
More recently, the ‘My 67 Minutes’ campaign has encouraged people to spend 67 minutes of their time — one for every year Mandela fought for social justice — to do something for someone else or their community.
#Arete67
As the experts in telling stories that make a difference, this year Arete decided to show its support for Nelson Mandela Day by sharing stories of inspirational community leaders from around the world, individuals that treat every day as if it is Nelson Mandela Day. Through this initiative we aimed both to celebrate the dedication of these, often unsung, heroes, and to inspire others to follow their example.
We asked our network of brilliant photographers to submit images of people, along with a few words, that exemplify the selflessness, sacrifice, and community spirit of Nelson Mandela Day.
Emmanuel Tombe: Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala
Emmanuel is an Arete photographer based in South Sudan. He chose to share an image of Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, the Catholic bishop of Tombura-Yambio diocese in South Sudan. When he was nine months old, The Bishop’s mother was killed when his village was attacked and destroyed. He lived with his grandmother in a refugee camp for 5 years and his early experiences helped form his dedication to peace and education. He was also involved in providing pastoral services on a huge scale during the Sudanese Civil War.
Mussa Uwitonze: Boniface Mudenge
Based in Kigali, Rwandan photojournalist Mussa Uwintonze was orphaned by the genocide of 1994. His submission, Boniface Mudenge, personifies forgiveness and reconciliation in the face of extreme collective trauma.
Vijay Pandey: Medha Patkar
Based in New Delhi, India, Vijay submitted a picture of Indian activist and former politician Madha Patkar.
Brian Ongoro
Based in Kisumu, Kenya, Brian submitted the mental health advocacy of BBC Africa Digital Video Journalist Gloria Achieng.
Kevin Gitonga: Esther
Kevin shared a picture of unsung community hero Esther, who was trained as a local health worker by Amref Health Africa — an African-led, African-staffed non-profit that reaches millions of people per year across the continent.
Kate Holt: Sister Monique Bonogo
Arete founder and director Kate Holt shared a picture of Burkinabe midwife Sister Monique Bonogo.
Mamadou Diop: Koffi Aya Christine
Living in Dakar, Senegal, Mamadou has worked in many places across the continent. He shared two photos of CGAP (Consultant Group to Assist the Poor) agent Koffi Aya Christine in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire. The CGAP works to advance the lives of poor people, especially women, through financial inclusion. Local agents like Koffi play an important role in facilitating relationships between customers and financial service providers by sharing knowledge with customers.
A massive thank you to all the photographers who took part in #Arete67. The example of Nelson Mandela proves that the virtues of one can inspire millions to action, and this small sample of incredible individuals just goes to show that the world is rich with such examples. If we celebrate them and tell their stories in a way that does them justice, their dedication to others can spread.
In this world of limitless, instantaneous information, the stories that we give precedence to have a major influence on our values & where we place importance — with selflessness, or with greed, with love or hate etc.
If each single inspirational example can inspire a few others to action, then the effects can spread across the world — so that every day, instead of asking ourselves what we have gained for ourselves, more of us ask: “what have I done to improve the surroundings in which I live?” — Nelson Mandela.
