Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and expressing condolences on his passing.

Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and expressing condolences on his passing. Whereas Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, as Rolihlahla Mandela, to Nonqaphi Nosekeni and Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela in Transkei, South Africa; Whereas Nelson Mandelas defiance of injustice, and his commitment to peace and reconciliation, played critical roles in the negotiation process that led South Africa to abolish apartheid, a system of racially focused social, political, and economic discrimination, and to ultimately adopt in its place a system of multiparty democracy and universal suffrage for all South Africans; Whereas Nelson Mandela became a political activist as a young man and rose through the leadership ranks of the African National Congress (ANC), becoming the ANC President; Whereas, on August 5, 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested for his political activism to end the discriminatory policies of apartheid; Whereas, despite calls for clemency on behalf of Nelson Mandela by the international community, including the Security Council, the General Assembly, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, he was found guilty of all charges against him and sentenced to life in prison; Whereas, during 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment on Robben Island, Nelson Mandela was permitted only one visitor a year, and for only 30 minutes; Whereas Nelson Mandela remained resolute, refusing offers to renounce his struggle against the Government of South Africa in exchange for his freedom, and became widely viewed as a martyr for the anti-apartheid movement; Whereas, during his imprisonment, Nelson Mandela was confined to a small cell where he slept on the floor, and he was sentenced to hard labor while being gravely mistreated by prison officials; Whereas, on February 11, 1990, under growing international pressure and national campaign efforts, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, marking the end of his 27 years, 6 months, and 1 week of continuous incarceration; Whereas, upon his release, Nelson Mandela resumed a top leadership role in the ANC and led the party in negotiations that resulted in South Africas first multiracial elections; Whereas, in 1994, following the first fully representative, multiracial national elections, Nelson Mandela was elected on May 9 and inaugurated on May 10 as President of the Democratic Republic of South Africa under a Government of National Unity; Whereas President Nelson Mandela led the transition from minority rule and apartheid to multicultural, multiracial democracy, and played a critical role in initiating South Africas ongoing efforts to foster national reconciliation and end the diverse, deep-rooted, and enduring social, political, and economic inequalities created by apartheid; Whereas President Nelson Mandela sought to promote equal opportunity for jobs and education, access to social services, and quality-of-life improvements for all South Africans; Whereas, during the presidency of Nelson Mandela, South Africa established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate gross human rights violations committed under the apartheid regime; Whereas Nelson Mandelas decision to step down after one term as South Africas elected President serves as a commendable example of commitment to democratic principles for elected national leaders in new democracies around the globe; Whereas Nelson Mandela continued his social justice and human rights work upon his retirement in 1999, primarily through the Nelson Mandela Foundation and its two sister organizations, the Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund and the Mandela-Rhodes Foundation; Whereas, on July 18, 2007, Nelson Mandela convened the Elders, a group of world leaders including Desmond Tutu, Graca Machel, and former United States President Jimmy Carter, to contribute their wisdom and insight towards addressing some of the worlds toughest problems; Whereas the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa Whereas Congress contributed to the attainment of the political ideals and goals for which Nelson Mandela struggled, by enacting the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 ( Public Law 99440 Whereas former United States President Bill Clinton honored Nelson Mandela with the Philadelphia Liberty Medal in 1993, and former United States President George W. Bush honored Nelson Mandela with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002; Whereas, on July 18 of each year, people around the world celebrate Nelson Mandela Day, in recognition of Nelson Mandelas birthday, by devoting their time to community service in honor of his legacy; Whereas, in 1995, Nelson Mandela wrote: I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended. Whereas Nelson Mandela leaves a legacy that transcends his time and place in history, which will guide and inspire generations to come: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate (1) honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of former South African President Nelson Mandela; (2) extends its heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the members of the family of the late President Nelson Mandela and his fellow citizens; (3) requests the Secretary of State to communicate these expressions of honor and condolence to Nelson Mandelas family and to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa; and (4) requests the President to identify an appropriate and lasting program of the United States Government to honor Nelson Mandelas legacy.

Summary: Honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Extends condolences to the members of his family and his fellow citizens. Requests: (1) the Secretary of State to communicate these expressions of honor and condolence to Nelson Mandela's family and to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, and (2) the President to identify an appropriate and lasting U.S. government program to honor Nelson Mandela's legacy.