Biography of Nelson Mandela Essay - 833 Words

On the night of his electoral victory, following the first democratic election in South Africa after years of racist oligarchy, Nelson Mandela began his victory address in a conventional style: â€Å"My fellow South Africans – the people of South Africa† (Guardian 3 May 1994 cited in Billig 1997:97). He went on to describe the new South Africa , â€Å"the type of South Africa we can build†. From his message it was clear that the country he spoke of had a unique, identifiable and addressable people: â€Å"The speech appealed to ‘us’, the people, the country, the nation. South Africa is called the ‘Rainbow Nation’. This is because of its multicultural diversity, after different groups came here in previous centuries. We are called the Rainbow nation†¦show more content†¦Discourse and systems of representations construct places from which individuals can position themselves and from which they can speak (Woodward 1997: 36). It involves both the use of language, of signs and images which stand for or represent things (Hall1997: 15). Representation is the link between concepts and language which enables us to refer to either the real world of objects, people or events, or indeed to imaginary worlds of fictional objects, people and events (Hall 1997:17). When considering the ways in which the images and language actively construct meaning in Generations, it must be remembered that the programme does not operate in isolation. This means that there is already an existing set of assumptions, common-knowledge, ‘commonsense’, general knowledge, widespread beliefs and popular attitudes which both the producers and receivers of the programme possess before creating, and engaging respectively, in the text of Generations. Representation is also ideological because of the types of stereotypes created and the choices made as to which features and ways of understanding the social world to exclude or include (Briggs and Cobley 1998:279). The storys revolving around characters from different colour groups, very much fits into the ideals of a rainbow nation. The variety ofShow MoreRelatedNelson Mandela Biography659 Words   |  3 Pagesexcept for Nelson Mandela, who was sent to jail just for asking that his rights be given to him and his fellow blacks. He spent 27 years doing hard labor but still continued to fight for his rights until he became the president of South Africa. Recently, however, he passed away at the age of ninety-five. This is just a mere reason why I chose him and also to show the influence of paper, ink and some unjust facts in the world. On the 18th of July, 1918, Rolihlahla Mandela, later on called Nelson, was bornRead MoreBiography of Nelson Mandela Essays2224 Words   |  9 PagesNelson Mandela Nelson Mandela is recognized for his leadership as a peacemaker and for distinctive aspects of his peacemaking practices all throughout the world. He was the leader of one of the most incredible political transitions in human history. Mandela is known as one of the great moral and political leaders of our times; an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa, won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Read MoreNelson Mandela Spiritual Biography2263 Words   |  10 PagesRunaway, Terrorist, Prisoner, Student, President, South African, Free Nelson Mandela challenged the status quo in many ways weather it was done politically, socially, or personally, in order to achieve such high goals Mandela paid many great personal expenses. Before the acts of Nelson Mandela, the country of South Africa was broken; it was plunged in a deep racism with the election in 1948. The regime of 1948 committed the crime of Apartheid which is defined as the action of committing inhumaneRead MoreBiography of Nelson Mandela1334 Words   |  6 PagesNelson Mandela Born and raised in South Africa. According to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Mvezo, Transkei, on July 18,1918 to parents Nonqaphi Nosekeni and Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Galda Mandela. Rolihlahla Mandela was raised in a home with a family that always worked towards bettering the future. Mandela’s childhood was peaceful, he spent time on cattle herding and other rural pursuits. He was one of thirteen children, and had three older brothers all who were ofRead MoreBiography of Nelson Mandela 1355 Words   |  6 Pageslive in a way that responds and enhances the freedom of others† says Nelson Mandela. (cite) Mandela lived by these words and showed it in many ways. Nelson Mandela changed the world by ending apartheid, positively influencing others, and creating and supporting multiple charities. (add more information) Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, which is now known as Nelson Mandela day. By being the son of a tribal councilor, Mandela mastered the art of listening; this helped him become a successful leaderRead MoreNelson Mandela: A Brief Biography1090 Words   |  4 PagesNelson Mandela, born on July 18th, 1918 was born in South Africa. Later in his life he would become one of my influential people ever in African South African history. South Africa was ruled by the Britain and the Netherlands in the 17th century. The British empowerment resulted in the Netherlands establishing new colonies. There were two colonies that were established. Those colonies were Orange Free State and Transvaal. The Netherlands discovered that the area had a lot of wealth like diamondsRead MoreA Brief Biography of Nelson Mandela2188 Words   |  9 PagesNelson Mandela Born on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, a village in the Transkei, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela became a prominent figure in global politics until recent times. Nelson was born on July 18 under the name Rolihlahla Mandela, to parents Nonqaphi Nosekeni and Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela. He began to attend school at the age of seven in Qunu. While here he was given the name Nelson by a teacher, and name that stuck with him forever. His father was royalty, and was the principal chancellorRead MoreA Brief Biography of Nelson Mandela693 Words   |  3 Pagesfew words to describe one of our world’s most iconic people, Nelson Mandela. He fought for freedom and against racial discrimination in his country of South Africa. Not only did Nelson Mandela change the world, he also inspired people to change the world too. He was just an average boy living in a small town in South Africa who became one of the world’s most iconic figures. Through challenges and hard times, he got through a nd today, Nelson Mandela’s story inspires people around the world to do somethingRead MoreA Brief Biography of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela902 Words   |  4 Pages Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in Mveso, Transkei, South Africa. Nelson Mandela became actively involved in the anti-apartheid kineticism in his 20s, and then joined the African National Congress in 1942. He directed a campaign of placid, nonviolent disobedience against the South African regime and its racist policies. Nelson accommodated as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. NelsonMandela is one of the greatest moral and political leaders of our time. Nelson MandelasRead MoreA Very Brief Biography of Nelson Mandela1229 Words   |  5 Pagespowerful and praiseworthy Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa into the royal family of the Xhosa-speaking Thembu tribe. From an early age, Mandela demonstrated his passion for fighting for the rights of his people. He was greatly inspired by the stories he heard about his ancestors during their times of struggle. It is through determination and dedication that Mandela accomplished many of his goals including an end to apartheid. In fact, Mandela received a Nobel Peace Prize