Campus flags in both Halifax and Truro are being lowered this morning to mark the passing of one of the world's greatest human rights advocates.
Nelson Mandela, who passed away yesterday at the age of 95, was the leader and symbol of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Imprisoned for 27 years for his role in leading the African National Congress against the regime of racial segregation, his struggle raised international attention for the cause. Released in 1990, he resumed his efforts to end apartheid, and in 1994 became the first democratic president of South Africa.
After retiring as president in 1999, he stayed active in public life for another half decade, establishing a global HIV/AIDS campaign named for his prisoner number (46664) as well as the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and The Elders, a group of former global leaders focusing on peace building.
He is also one of only five individuals to have ever been granted honorary Canadian citizenship.
Noting Dal's flag lowering on his Twitter account this morning, Dal President Richard Florizone called Mandela, "a truly incredible person who will continue to inspire the world."
"I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended," wrote Mandela in his 1995 memoir, Long Walk to Freedom. With his walk now at last concluded, the world takes time today to remember the man's extraordinary impact.
Read: (CBC)
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