Nelson Mandela: The Unlikely Leader

Intertwined with the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, he  became a 21st inspiration and hero – but leadership was not a path he thirsted for.

Madiba – as he is known to his tribe – became a reluctant face of ANC‘s fight for equality during the 70s and 80s. Mandela, as a young, passionate man who wanted a democratic future for his country, did not foresee himself as someone who would become a global icon.

Photo: worldnews.nbcnews.com

In fact, it was a decision by his friend and fellow prisoner in Robben Island in 1978 that put the light of the international media on Mandela’s kind face. Mandela’s story was used to personalize a political campaign; not a position he sought for himself. Just one of the many ways that made Mandela so unique and so emotive as a leader.

Globally, Mandela’s appeal was a slow burn (we’ve been repeatedly reminded how then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, considered the ANC a terrorist group). To put it bluntly as Trevor Phillips, the former Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Committee and chairman of the Free Nelson Mandela Committee in the UK said “Let’s be frank about it, it wasn’t until the 1980s that Mandela became fashionable.”

Photo: sootoday.com

Madiba endured 27 years in prison because of apartheid (the word literally means “apart” in Afrikaans)  prisons and with incredible magnificence, bore no bitterness as a result of this injustice. Mandela instead urged his country to seek a future of understanding and co-operation rather than the days of repressing, subjugation and hatred.

His sincerity in his goal for his country was so sincere, it was impossible not to see it and be drawn to it; people liked Mandela not only for what he stood for, but how he stood for it; with fairness, peace, majesty and kindness.

Although he will forever be associated with the ANC, Mandela was not afraid to voice opposition to his party – agreeing publicly with the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee during his Presidency, despite the ANC strongly opposing some points and with the establishment of Africa’s first rural AIDS treatment site by his foundation.

When Mandela emerged from prison in 1990 and then left his presidential office in 1994 after one term, he demonstrated the power of peace. How battles are not won by the cacophony of corpses, but by the actions that show you want a change for the better.

Mandela inspired a generation of South Africans. The current youth of South Africa grew up with stories and images of Mandela, but politically, he has not been as large an influence in their lives as he had been for their predecessors. South Africa in 2013 is struggling, but in different ways to Mandela’s struggle; unemployment is a massive issue  for young (and old) South African’s and is the issue that is felt on a daily basis by the people who’s political freedom was achieved, thanks to Mandela.

That is not to undermine the struggles which the country faces today; but economics now looms largely.

Mandela will never be forgotten, because inspiration is the purest form of immortality. His actions, his words and his teaching will resound with future generations. His humanity was what defined him from other political leaders. He made an impression on those of us physically untouched by the struggles of his country .

Hero, leader, icon. A beautiful human being. RIP Mandela.

Photo: pravmir.com

Tuesday Newspaper Round-Up

We’ve got the top stories for today, wrapped up in a few sentences for you.

“Selfie” named 2013 word of the year: Following a tough choice of decisions by the editors of Oxford dictionaries, “selfie” has been picked as the word of the year; beating off twerk, binge-watch and showrooming. Use of the word has increased by 17,000% since this time last year.

14 people killed as storms hit Sardinia: At least 14 people have been killed overnight on the Italian island of Sardinia following strong storms. Hundreds of people have been evacuated, but many areas remain out of reach to rescue teams. A woman and daughter drowned in a car after they become stuck inside the vehicle.

Ireland’s Birth Rate Still Declining: Statistics from the ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) show the number of babies being born in Ireland continues to decline. This rate has been on a downward slope since 2009. In 2012, there were just under 7c2,000 births.

 Death Toll in Philippine’s nears 4,000: International aid agencies around the world are facing a humanitarian crisis following the damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Up to four million people are now displaced from their homes and the death toll is still increasing as search work continues.

Sharon Ni Bheolain Craves New Career Path: After presenting RTÉ’s Six One news for eight years, the broadcaster has revealed she is ready for something new. Speaking in the RTÉ Guide, the 42-year-old said “It’s been a very enjoyable experience, but I’m ready for something new.”

 

 

Google To Block Child Pornography

Google has introduced radical global reforms to prevent pedophiles using the search engine to access child pornography.

Photo: foxnewsworld.com

Google Chairman, Eric Schmidt said the company has made some “fine tuning”, in order to prevent those attempting to access child abuse footage and images. The changes will prevent more than 100,000 child pornography items being accessed through the search engine.

Google CEO, Eric Schmidt. Photo: dailytech.com

The restrictions, currently only active in English speaking countries, will be expanded globally to over 158 other languages in the next six months. Not only will content be blocked, but it will also be “tagged”; meaning duplicate copies of illegal pictures and videos will be blocked across the internet. Microsoft, Bing and Yahoo are also introducing similar measures to inhibit the distribution of child pornography.

The new system will also identify code words and terms used by pedophiles to find illegal content and will block search results for these too.

Speaking about the new system, Schmidt said “While society will never wholly eliminate such depravity, we should do everything in our power to protect children from harm.”

Espresso Shot Of Morning News

We’ve got the stories leading the news today, all wrapped up into a neat bundle for you. Prepare to wow the office with your water-cooler talk!

 

Photo: rte.ie

John Murray’s Battle With Depression: RTÉ Radio One host John Murray returned to his 9am slot today – and revealed the crippling depression which had left him unable to work for the last 6 months. “Depression doesn’t just drop in for a quick hello and run for the hills” he said. “It took a fancy to me… and boy did it make it’s presence felt. Murray thanked all of his team, friends family and listeners for their on-going support.

Photo: thejournal.ie

Search For Remains In Meath Ends: Gardaí have confirmed that the search for the missing remains of Christopher Gaffney concluded this morning – but more searches may be carried out as the investigation continues. The 37-year-old’s arm was found in Clonee at the weekend, prompting an extensive search of the area. He was identified by fingerprints and DNA. Gaffney was a convicted drug-dealer and it is believed this criminal association may be connected to his death.

 

Photo: revenue.ie

Property Tax: Following outrage from homeowners last week after the Revenue Commission sent out letters about paying next year’s property tax the boss of the Revenue is to face TD’s questions about the issue.

Josephine Feehily is expected to appear before the Oireachtas Finance Committee sometime this week. Letters sent to almost a million homes last week said that people who wished to pay next year’s tax in a lump sum by card, would have to do so by the end of November. People were advised that if they wanted to make the payment by credit or debit, they would have to pay immediately. Speaking on RTÉ’s The Week In Politics, Minister Joan Burton admitted the Revenue needs to explain more clearly to people how to pay their tax and insisted that “people don’t have to pay until next year”.

Photo: misgl.com

Ryanair Seats Reserved For Free: Ryanair have really been surprising us lately by making a number of changes to improve their customers experience. The latest move, revealed today, is that from February, the airline will allow passengers to choose their seats 24 hours in advance of the flight at no cost. Front-row or oer-wing seats will still require a fee if you want to reserve them, but the new system will now enable travelling partners and families to sit together.

Egypt On High Alert: Deposed President Mohamed Morsi begins his trial today in Cairo amid fears of violence. 20,000 policemen are to be deployed and authorities say they are ready to deal with any conflict.  Morsi is accused, along with 13 others, of  causing the death of protesters. He was removed from office by the army four months ago. Supporters of Morsi say the army-installed government fabricated the charges against him and are calling for protests against the military. If found guilty, Morsi could face the death sentence or life imprisonment.

Hangover Catchup: Today’s Breaking News

At this moment, you’re probably languishing in bed wondering why you had that final shot last night and wishing scientists had discovered an instant hangover cure. But that doesn’t mean you need to be uninformed while you’re doing it! Here’s the stories you might have missed overnight topping the agenda today:

1. Human Arm Found in Meath: An investigation is underway after a human arm was found in Clonnee, Co Meath yesterday evening. Searches were suspended last night after it became too dark, but have resumed this morning. The scene was sealed off last night. The arm was found by a passerby on open ground around 4:30pm yesterday afternoon.

2. Water Restrictions Extended: Water restrictions are being extended across the Greater Dublin area from 8pm- 7am until Thursday. Along with the general annoyance the rest of us are suffering, restaurants are calling for compensation for lost business.

3. Shooting at LAX Airport: One person has died and several others have been injured following a shooting at Los Angeles International Airport yesterday. Police in the US are investigating the motive of the shooter, who has been identified as 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia. Ciancia acted alone and was captured alive, but wounded. It is suspected his actions may have been the result of a personal grudge against the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

4. Bye Bye Blasphemy?: The Constitutional Convention will debate the possibility of removing the offence of blasphemy in our constitution at a meeting in Dublin today. As it stands, a person who publishes or a utters blasphemous statement, is breaking the law.

5. UK response to Irish Abortion Laws: The largest provider of abortions in Britain has back at Ireland for making it illegal to obtain an abortion here. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) has taken an advertisement out in today’s The Irish Times with the slogan “We’ll care for your women until your government does.”

6. O’Neill And Keane: BFF’s To Be: If emerging reports are true, while it’s all but a done deal that Martin O’Neill will become the new coach of Ireland’s football team, Roy Keane could be his assistant manager, with several media outlets reporting the likely hood of this occurring.

Blonde Gypsy Girl “adopted” in “non-legal” way

A Gypsy couple who are accused with charges of kidnapping a young child known only as Maria adopted her in a “non-legal way”, their lawyer said.

Photo: gma.yahoo.com

Marietta Palavrasa, the couple’s defense lawyer, said the girl’s mother was a Bulgarian Gypsy who lived in the Thessalia region of Greece for many years.

“My clients never talked about Maria’s biological father. They think he was in prison,” Palavrasa said. “The Bulgarian woman gave my clients the child. My clients adopted her in non-legal way, but they cared for her as if she were their child.”

Speaking to ABC news, a polic source told the broadcaster that Maria, who’s face has been shown around the world since her discovery, was one of four children found with the couple. There were also two ohter girls and a boy found. It is not yet known if these children are the genetic children of the couple.

The source also said that the couple had a total number of 14 children registered for benefits, but it is unclear if all these children exist/exsisted.

Maria was initally thought to be about 4-years-old, but it is now believed she could be as old as 6. Police are still trying to locate her biological parents.

 

A Good Story To Warm Your Heart

Here at WhatToKnowNow, we love when we hear good news. We also love you, our readers, so we want to spread the love with you on this grey Monday.

 

Man Pays for Strangers Bill After Hearing They Got Bad News

A waiter in a Boston-based restaurant witnessed an unselfish act of kindness that has restored our faith in humanity.

Last week as two women, believed to be mother an daughter, were having a meal, one of the women took a phone call and then began to cry. The man who had been sitting at the table overheard the conversation – and decided to commit a simple act of kindness when he handed the waiter this note with his own bill:

Photo: Reddit

For those of you who can’t make it out, the note reads “Do me a favour and bring me their check too. Someone just got diagnosed. Don’t tell them”.

The waiter combined the two checks which the man paid for before he left. After he was gone, the waiter told the two women about the strangers random act of kindness. The mother was overwhelmed with attitude.

If this doesn’t inspire you to pay a little goodness forward in the world, nothing will!

 

 

 

 

200 Australian Homes destroyed in wildfires

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes as bushfires tear through the Australian state of New South Wales.

Officials fear that bushfires near Lithgow which is nearby, could merge and create one huge blaze crossing hundreds of kilometers.

Sydney is also on alert as more than 2.000 firefighters from all over eastern Europe have been called in to help.

At least 200 hundreds home have already been destroyed by the fire and has claimed one life. A 63-year-old man suffered a heart attack as her tried to protect his home from the flames.

Our 100th Post – A Good News Story!

 

Photo: thejournal.ie

This article marks our 100th post at WhatToKnowNow.com and what better way to celebrate it than with a feel-good news story?

Italian Pensioner recieves 200 euro from Pope after being mugged

An Italian pensioner got more than she expected when she wrote to Pope Francis, telling him how she had recently been mugged on a bus as she travelled to visit her sick husband in hospital.

The Venetian woman, in her late 80s, was sent 200 euro by his holiness to her local parish after he read her story.

A note signed by the Francis’s  new alms master Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, said: ‘Please deliver in the manner  it deems appropriate, the relevant amount to the lady in question, that it is a  gift of His Holiness, who offers her his apostolic blessing accompanied by  desired aid and divine comfort for her and for her husband.’

We’re not paticular fans of the Catholic Church, but this story warms our cockles. They do say charity starts at home…

The World’s Most Powerful Woman: Janet Yellen

Have you heard of Janet Yellen? Don’t feel bad if you haven’t. For us mere-mortals who don’t hold a Masters in Global Finance, the name Janet Yellen won’t ring any bells. But it soon will be.

Photo: newyorker.com

Yellen is the firm favourite to become the new Head of the Federal Reserve in the US; in effect, making her the most powerful individual in global markets and economy. Yellen is currently Vice Chair of the Reserve since 2010. But after Larry Summers pulled his name out of the running for the nomination a few weeks ago, it is widely believed that President Obama will choose Yellen as the new head this afternoon.

If appointed, Yellen will be the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve and will be one of the first women to head a central bank in the Western nation.

Yellen graduated from high-school in Brooklyn in 1962. She went on to become a professor of economics at Berkeley and has years of experience in the Federal Reserve. In this role, Yellen has been respected for her sharp and early recognition of the dangers of the property bubble, her ability to see the long-range affects of economic policies and the ability to translate jargon heavy theories into easy-to-understand speeches and presentations. Perhaps one of the distinctions which makes her even more qualified for the task at hand is her ability to compromise and willingness to co-operate with other people.

Yellen is not a woman who is “me,me,me”. Strong and smart, she’s consistently open to the views of others and will incorporate those into tangiable goals.

With her appointment as head of the Federal Reserve, Yellen will have the power to influence global economies with the palm of her hand. For women world-wide, she is about to become a 21st century role model.

As Justin Wolfers, an economist at the Brookings Institution said, “I feel reassured that my daughter’s economic future is in good hands.”