A great man once said, "A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." (Mandela) The country of South Africa once stood divided; it was a model of racial division and oppression. Only one man was strong enough to piece back together this torn country and build a strong, united, open democracy. This man is Nelson Mandela, known as the world's most famous prisoner, and now his country's President. Through these attributes, he has demonstrated that he did not flinch from taking up arms. He exemplifies a moral integrity that shines far beyond the boundaries of South Africa. Through these traits he has met and exceeded the challenge of turning myth into man.

Rolihlahla Mandela was born deep in the black homeland of Transkei on July 18,1918. His first name could be interpreted, prophetically, as "troublemaker." A primary school teacher added the Nelson later. Mandela grew up in the time of the apartheid; the government was dominated by whites, which made up only eighteen percent of South Africa's population. The apartheid was an official policy of racial segregation in the Republic of South Africa involving political, legal, and economical d

Shortly after his release, Nelson Mandela addressed the uncomfortable legendary stature he had acquired while in prison by saying, "No one who is flesh and bones wants to be thought of as a saint, unless the definition of a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying." Although Mr. Mandela is mostly attributed with such "saintly" qualities as his lack of bitterness, his even temperament, his ever-present smile, his genteel manners and disarming wit, his successes are mostly due to his unsaintly qualities. He is known to be stubborn, arrogant, iron-willed, autocratic, exacting, and contemptuous. He hides these traits, making them even more powerful, especially when wielding them in combination with the "martyr's halo" he earned while performing hard labor for almost thirty years on Robben Island.

In 1991, due to his tireless negotiations with the National Party, the last of the laws that formed the legal basis of apartheid were repealed. In 1993, Mandela and F. W. de Klerk stood together as co-laureates of the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in establishing racial harmony and democracy in South Africa. In May of 1994, Nelson Mandela's vision of racial equality became reality when he was elected the first black president of democratic South Africa; and while his dream had finally come true, he now faced even more challenging responsibilities.

Camus once said, "One man's chains implies that we are all enslaved." Mandela proves through his own example that faith, hope, and charity are qualities attainable by humanity as a whole. Through his willingness to walk the road of sacrifice, Nelson Mandela has reaffirmed our common potential to move toward a new age. This is why he will be forever imbedded in our minds, and go down in history as the most admired figure of our time.

Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time, an international hero whose lifelong dedication to fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the Presidency of his country. Since his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela has been the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world. As the President of the African National Congress and the head of South Africa's antiapartheid movement he was instrumental in moving the nation toward a multiracial government and majority rule. He is revered everywhere as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality.

Time and time again, the leaders of the apartheid government had offered to release him, always on some condition that he renounce the struggle, or live under a form of house arrest in one of the black homelands. However, Mandela lived by the words he uttered on the stand during his famous 1963 Rivonia Trial for sabotage and treason:

Mandela's resolve to free his country through non-violent tactics remained unbroken during his imprisonment, and in fact, seemed to grow stronger despite the constant efforts of the apartheid government to break his spirit. His resolution was to try to teach blacks that the negotiating table was every bit as effective as the battlefield and not to wallow in bitterness. At the same time, he also tried to teach the whites not to fear retribution. Nelson Mandela's vision, like that of Mohandas Gandhi before him, of a racia

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