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UN / MANDELA DAY
STORY: UN / MANDELA DAY
TRT: 2.53
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 18 JULY 2013, NEW YORK CITY
RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters, North Lawn Building
18 JULY 2013, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, dais
3. Wide shot, audience
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“At the dawn of the struggle, the United Nations stood side by side with Nelson Mandela and all those who fought the inhuman system of apartheid. Now at the twilight of an extraordinary life, we send our prayers his way and give thanks that we have had the privilege of sharing some of his 95 years with him. Let us all continue to be inspired by Nelson Mandela at this moment of reflection of his life and work. Let us pledge to live up to his example.”
5. Zoom out, audience applause
6. SOUNDBITE (English) William J. Clinton, Former President of the United States:
“What is in his heart, still glows in his smile and lights up the room through his eyes. None of us has to be in public office to be of public service. So, first we must free ourselves, then we must free and empower others, then we must serve as a way of life, not as a root to office. Those are the lessons that every person on earth can learn, embrace and live by.
7. Wide shot, dais, applause
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Activist:
“Even now, as Mr. Mandela enters into what might be the evening of his years, the sun soon setting just beyond the reach of his most loftiest achievements, is again summoning the attention of the world as he beckons us to be mindful of the fragility of life. But let us not forget that it is because of the life and personal sacrifice of Mr. Mandela that South Africa is a different nation today. The dark night of apartheid and racial disparity did not come to an end on its own. Those of us who have dedicated our lives to the possibility of freedom and equality understand with amazing clarity that social transformation is an intentional act.”
9. Various shots, audience applause
FILE – 1990, NEW YORK CITY
10. Various shots, Mandela’s arrival at the UN General Assembly
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa:
“It will forever remain an accusation and a challenge to all men and women of conscience that it took as long as it has before all of us to say, enough is enough.”
12. Med shot, New York City Mayor David Dinkins applauding
The United Nations today (18 July) marks Nelson Mandela International Day, celebrating the South African leader's 95th birthday and honouring his dedication to public service, social justice and reconciliation, inspiring millions around the world.
At Headquarters in New York, the General Assembly held a special meeting to mark the Day. Speakers included former United States President Bill Clinton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Andrew Mlangeni, a close friend of Mandela who was imprisoned with him, among others.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the meeting that “at the dawn of the struggle the United Nations stood side by side with Nelson Mandela and all those who fought the inhuman system of apartheid.”
Ban said “let us all continue to be inspired by Nelson Mandela at this moment of reflection of his life and work. Let us pledge to live up to his example.”
To commemorate the Day, the UN is joining a call by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to “Take Action, Inspire Change” to volunteer 67 minutes to helping others by volunteering in a hospital, tutoring a child, providing food for the homeless, or any other community service.
President Clinton recalled his friendship with Mandela and praised his efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa years after he left office.
Clinton said “none of us has to be in public office to be of public service” adding that we must free ourselves, then we must free and empower others, then we must serve as a way of life, not as a root to office.”
He said “every person on earth can learn, embrace and live by” the lessons that Mandela imparted.
Reverend Jackson praised Mandela’s commitment to achieving reconciliation and his emphasis on forgiveness and tolerance, as well as his determination to not give up and continue fighting for social justice.
Jackson said “those of us who have dedicated our lives to the possibility of freedom and equality understand with amazing clarity that social transformation is an intentional act.”
The "67-minutes" campaign is based on people devoting one minute of their time for every year that Mr. Mandela devoted to public service, as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically-elected President of post-apartheid South Africa.
While United Nations staff in New York are helping to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, elsewhere around the world, UN staff are engaging in various volunteer activities: preparing meals for the elderly, helping out in orphanages, cleaning up parks and organizing computer literacy workshops.
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