Nelson Mandela - Biography - President (non-U.S.), Writer, Civil Rights Activist Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa in 1994, serving until 1999. A symbol of global peacemaking, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Synopsis Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in Mveso, Transkei, South Africa. Becoming actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement in his 20s, Mandela joined the African National Congress in 1942. Early Life Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918, in the tiny village of Mvezo, on the banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, South Africa. Nelson Mandela's father, who was destined to be a chief, served as a counselor to tribal chiefs for several years, but lost both his title and fortune over a dispute with the local colonial magistrate. At the suggestion of one of his father's friends, Mandela was baptized in the Methodist Church. When Mandela was 9 years old, his father died of lung disease, causing his life to change dramatically. Mandela's Imprisonment Prison Release and Presidency In Recent Years
Kids from South Africa | FactMonster.com Continent: Southern AfricaSchool: Children ages 7 through 15 are required to attend school. Parents must pay fees for their children to attend school, even public schools. All students wear uniforms. Schools in South Africa are packed with kids. In fact, some schools have two or three sessions to accommodate all the kids.Play: Soccer is the most popular sport in South Africa. In 2010, South Africa will become the first African country to host the men’s World Cup tournament. For more information, go to the Fact Monster page about South Africa. More on Kids from South Africa from Fact Monster: Homework Center: World - Subjects » Geography » History » Language Arts » Mathematics » ...
Vocabulary you might need to discuss human rights (do you know what they mean?) Robben Island Robben Island Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th century such as the maximum security prison for political prisoners, witness the triumph of democracy and freedom over oppression and racism. Robben Island a été utilisée à différentes époques entre le XVIIe et le XXe siècle comme prison, hôpital pour les malades socialement indésirables et base militaire. Ses bâtiments, et en particulier ceux du XXe siècle, la prison à haute sécurité pour les prisonniers politiques, témoignent de l'oppression et du racisme qui régnaient avant le triomphe de la démocratie et de la liberté. جزيرة روبن تمّ استعمال جزيرة روبن خلال مراحل مختلفة بين القرنين السابع عشر والعشرين كسجن وكمستشفى للمرضى غير المرغوب بهم اجتماعياً وكقاعدة عسكرية. source: UNESCO/ERI 罗布恩岛 从17世纪到20世纪罗布恩岛曾有过不同的用途，它曾经是监狱、不受社会欢迎的人的医院和军事基地。 Остров Роббен-Айленд Robben Island
All About South Africa Jun 08, 2010 Seeing as the 2010 FIFA World Cup happened in South Africa, we thought it’d be cool to learn a bit more about the beautiful country, which has definitely been through its fair share of tough times. South African Kids Of all the countries on the continent of Africa, South Africa’s the most diverse in terms of its territory. It ranges from rolling hills to wide open savannah to the Kalahari Desert to the high peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains. Lots of people visit South Africa to go on safari, though, since it’s got two of the world’s most famous wildlife reserves: the Kruger and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Parks. Map of South Africa Early History South Africa is a beautiful country. A couple hundred years later, when gold was discovered in South Africa by the British, wars broke out between different European settlers who wanted to gain control of the country for themselves. Apartheid Apartheid in South Africa Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela Freed Nelson Mandela Statue
Thousands Of Children In Solitary Confinement An unbelievably widespread practice exists of placing children in solitary confinement (regularly referred to as “protective custody”), often for minor offenses. Solitary confinement has been shown to cause severe pain and psychological damage, and because of the vulnerability, and specific needs of adolescents, solitary confinement can be a particularly cruel and harmful practice when applied to them. Given that nearly 100,000 youth under the age of 18 pass through adult prisons and jails annually, there are thousands of children placed in solitary confinement each year, but we are unable to derive any official count. The overall rate of solitary confinement in American prisons is thought to be between 3% and 5%, and anecdotal evidence suggests that children may be isolated at even higher rates than adults. Often, solitary confinement or ‘protective custody’ is justified because the individual is believed to be vulnerable to physical or sexual abuse. References:
Robben Island For nearly 400 years, Robben Island, about 12 kilometres from Cape Town, was a place of exile where rulers sent those they regarded as outcasts and troublemakers. Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th century such as the maximum security prison for political prisoners, witness the triumph of democracy and freedom over oppression and racism. The author Lawrence Green described Robben Island as "The Island of Exiles". MuseumSince 1997 Robben Island has been a museum acting as a focal point of South African heritage. In 1999 the island was declared a World Heritage Site. During the apartheid years Robben Island was used to isolate opponents of apartheid and to crush their morale. The IslandOn the road to the village you'll pass a square-towered church and old Sailboat cannons.
Ten odd facts about South Africa | Road Travel Africa Here’s ten little known miscellaneous facts about South Africa. South Africa has the longest wine route in the world. The Tugela Falls is the second highest waterfall in the world, where the water tumbles down 2,789 feet. First place goes to the Angel Falls in Venezuela at 3,212 feet. South Africa has the oldest meteor scar in the world, just across the Vaal River near Parys, called the Vredefort Dome. The meteor plummeted to Earth nearly two billion years ago (Earth is said to be 4,5 billion years old), pre-dating the heady days of oxygen and multi-celled life. Watch this space for more odd tit-bits of information about our amazing country.
Child Labor in Afghanistan - The Borgen Project Poverty forces children to work and sacrifice their chance at an education. Today, this is sadly a common occurrence in Afghanistan. Estimates are difficult to come by but through various sources it can be stated that between 21 and 25 percent of Afghan children are part of the labor force. Children as young as 6 are often involved. Child labor is hard to overcome in Afghanistan because although it is illegal by law for anyone under the age of 14 to work, many families are so desperate that they need one of their children to work in order to survive. A common job for Afghan children in Kabul is working in brick factories. It is important to look at the physiological affects of child labor. If Afghan children are working, they are missing out on this crucial developmental step. The main reason children are sent off to work is so that they can feed their families. The task of raising the Afghan people out of poverty is certainly not an easy one. – Eleni Marino
South Africa profile - overview South Africa has one of the continent's biggest and most developed economies. Up until 1994 it was ruled by a white minority which enforced a separation of races with its policy called apartheid. The apartheid government eventually negotiated itself out of power after decades of international isolation, armed opposition and mass protests. The democratically-elected leadership encouraged reconciliation and set about redressing social imbalances. Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring Population 50.7 million Area 1.22 million sq km (470,693 sq miles) Major languages 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, Xhosa and Zulu Religions Christianity, Islam, indigenous beliefs Life expectancy 53 years (men), 54 years (women) Currency Rand Getty Images President: Jacob Zuma Image copyright Getty Images The leader of the ruling African National Congress party, Jacob Zuma, was chosen president by the newly-elected parliament in May 2009.
South Africa — Our Africa The anti-apartheid movement Two teenagers visit a memorial in Soweto where a display photograph shows a father carrying his dead child in his arms. This picture became an emblem of the anti-apartheid movement. A huge divide Average life expectancy in South Africa is 54, though there is a great divide in the standard of living and health among the country's 50 million people. Deserts, rainforests, mountains… South Africa’s varied geography has diverse habitats, including deserts, savannahs, rainforests, mangroves, wetlands and mountain regions. 'The sky's the limit' Two 22 year-old men talk about their future plans and aspirations. Explore South Africa Explore a map of South Africa. Economy has strengthened After experiencing difficult times during the sanctions and isolation of the apartheid era, South Africa’s economy has strengthened since 1994, posting average annual growth of around 3.5% over the past decade. Fish, meat and maize Tables turned on journalist Hero and role model Beads galore
In Afghanistan, childhood is often a full-time job It's estimated that at least a quarter of Afghan children work, despite labor laws that forbid it. Some, like Sami, support their entire family. Sami Rahimi, 13, works and lives in a bread bakery in Kabul. He gets up at 5 a.m. to start work. He supports his entire family, who live in the northern province of Tahar. It's estimated that at least a quarter of Afghan children work, despite labor laws that forbid it. By David Zucchino Photography by Carolyn Cole Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan April 19, 2014 Sami Rahimi sleeps fitfully on a bread rack above the bakery's cold concrete floor. Before the sun has risen, Sami is pushing a dented wheelbarrow through the dim streets, at 13 still a tiny figure among the vegetable hawkers and butchers slicing bloody flanks of sheep from carcasses hung on hooks. By 6 a.m., the gas-fired stone kiln is glowing a fiery red, ready to bake the flat loaves known as khasa and the round loaves called kamachi. Families scramble for any job to survive. In a U.S.