We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society – a life free from violence and fear.
Nelson MandelaRead
Sabotage did not involve loss of life, and it offered the best hope for future race relations. Bitterness would be kept to a minimum and, if the policy bore fruit, democratic government could become a reality.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Sabotage can be a non-lethal way to promote better race relations and democracy.
In this quote, Nelson Mandela reflects on the tactical use of sabotage as a means to advance the cause of racial equality and democratic governance. He emphasizes that such actions could minimize bitterness and conflict, suggesting that strategic disruption can potentially lead to positive social change rather than outright violence, paving the way toward a more harmonious society.
Themes
SabotageRace RelationsDemocracyChangeHope
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about social justice movements.
More from Nelson Mandela
All quotes →What freedom am I being offered while the organization of the people remains banned? Only free men can negotiate. A prisoner cannot enter into contracts.
Nelson MandelaRead
The past is a rich resource on which we can draw in order to make decisions for the future, but it does not dictate our choices. We should look back at the past and select what is good, and leave behind what is bad.
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We signal that good can be achieved amongst human beings who are prepared to trust, prepared to believe in the goodness of people.
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After one has been in prison, it is the small things that one appreciates: being able to take a walk whenever one wants, going into a shop and buying a newspaper, speaking or choosing to remain silent. The simple act of being able to control one's person.
Nelson MandelaRead
I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.
Nelson MandelaRead
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