South africans and forgiveness for what the white government had done, oppressed them and imprisoned him. Today, the world is remembering ali con. Nelson mandela. Nelson mandela. In south africa, the grieving and mourning are mixed with songs and celebration. For the man affectionately known by his clan name madibmadiba. Remembering the life and legacy of any son mandela. Im suzanne malveaux. Im michael holmes. Thanks for your company. It is interesting how much of a celebration it has been. There is the mourning. There were tears tonight. Today its been singing and dancing, people celebrating the life. He seems to have an impact on just about everyone. People around the world are reacting. We are watching live pictures of him being celebrated in the streets of johannesburg. Died in the suburbs of johannesburg. We want to bring you to the place where the flags are flying, where the people are cheering. That is where we bring cnns arwa damon. Arwa, we know this is something for a long time, we know hes been in ill health. There was certainly a scare back in june. Did it come as a surprise . Explain to us the celebration we are seeing now, the outpouring of love. Not so much as a surprise because as you were saying there, Nelson Mandela was incredibly ill and had taken a turn for the worse over the last few weeks. He was fighting a very aggressive lung infection. He was 95 years old. But a lot of South Africans are saying even if they felt they had time to prepare for this, when the moment came to be, they found that they were not emotionally prepared for it. Many of them are trying to grapple with everything that theyre going through right now. Were outside of had his home in johannesburg where he did pass away. People have been gathering since last night. They were showing up in their pajamas, everyone expressing their affection, love for Nelson Mandela in all sorts of different ways, celebrating him to include a troupe of dancers that traveled overfight to many col because for them and for so many others here, Nelson Mandela was larger than life. Translator he is beloved father and dada, dada is now gone to us because he show us everything like here in south africa, the whole world. Its also been quite interesting here, speaking to the different generations. A lot of parents bringing their very Young Children who night not fully grasp what is happening but still wanting them to be a part of this moment, wanting to teach them even at a young age what Nelson Mandela was all about, the principles that he stood up for, the sacrifices that he made for south africa today. A lot of College Students also remembering how it was for their parents when blacks could not go to certain schools with white students, when the two the communities were completely and totally separate and now these young black students are telling us it is simply thanks to one man, his ability to forgive, to reconcile rather than seek revenge that now they feel as if they do have the opportunity to better themselves and the nation. The hour i suppose, the man he was could be an object lesson to politicians in other parts of the world these days, a man of patience and reconciliation and forgiveness. You know, one thing thats ironic where you are now, that house, his house, he couldnt have lived there under apartheid. It was a whites only area. You mentioned the use there, the socalled born freel generation, those who never lived under apartheid. Is there a sense there from the older generation thatting that born Free Generation needs to know that history . Reporter there will most certainly is, and thats a great point that you do bring up. And just to expand on that a little bit, blacks would not have been allowed into neighborhoods like this one unless they had a specific permit from their employer that allowed them access to areas like this. Those permits were very restrictive. You would have a permit for one side of the street but would not be be allowed to cross into the other. That is to give you an idea what the situation like. When it comes to this younger generation, weve been speaking to a fair number of College Students who it were maybe 1 or 2 years old when he was released from prison. Theyre very aware of the fact that their parents were not able to get an education. Their parents were not able to ride the same buses, use the same transport that white people did. Never mind employment opportunities. And they do feel a sense of responsibility they were telling us, that it is up to them, especially at this juncture in south africas history to remind south africas current politicians, its current government exactly what it was that any son mandela and all the others around him sacrificed for, and that was a Free Democratic, prosperous nation where people were treated with dignity. At the end of the day, this is still a country facing a lot of challenges and a lot of problems. All right. Arwa damon, thank you so much. I had a chance to visit south africa in october of last year. A lot of young people still feel like he is their leader, the father of the country despite the fact theres totally new leadership at the is the one theyre most influenced by, most moved by. It shocks a lot of people, he only served one term as president. It was very brief. He passed the mantle on to zuma. But one term in office, everything he did changed that country forever. We dont want to be tool pollyannaish about it, that is a country with still a lot of challenges ahead from poverty to the income inequality to corruption and the like but he changed it from what it was into this what he wanted a Rainbow Society is what he wanted. Its not all there yet. They are still fighting very much to get their political rights, as well. Theres, of course, an outpouring of affection for Nelson Mandela around the world but also in the United States. This is we dont have live pictures. I believe well get them later. This is the south African Embassy on massachusetts avenue in washington, d. C. That is where there have been so many people coming forward,ent chaing, putting flowers and candles out to mem rate what is taking place, tributes near the statute of any son mandela. We will saul that in london, as well. There were people out there all day. Robert ker now, our correspondent in jan hannessburg. Shes done a extraordinary job since he passed. She has been embraced by the man, covering him for years and takes a look back now at the mans life and the struggle that really defined who he was. Nelson mandelas struggle for freedom defined had his life. He was born in the remote hills of south africas eastern cape. He was given the name hole had i siz we which means troublemaker. He was given the name nelson by a teacher later on. After studying law, his trouble making politics ticks began, and as a boxer he became adept at picking fights and sparring with the an hart hide authority which had increased its oppression against the black population. It was there that mandela made the crucial decision to take up an arms struggle launch the armed wing. He was militant and a fire brandie fointly burning his passbook, a dred the document the an hart hide authorities used to control the movement of south africas black population. The africans require one the franchise on the basis of one man, one vote. They want political independence. That simple. Demand and the methods he took to fight for democracy eventually saw him and others tried for treason and sabotage by the apartheid government, acts punishable by death but they got life imprisonment instead, banished to Robben Island one of the countrys most brutal and isolated prison. Another political prisoner remembers the first time he saw mandela in the primp yard. I could see from the way he walked and from his conduct that here was a man already stamping his authority on prison regime. Mandela was released 27 years later. I have spoken about freedom in my lifetime. Your struggle, your commitment, and your discipline has released me to stand before you today. And his lack of bitterness towards the apartheid authorities helped him to lead one of the most remarkable political transitions of the 20th century. Mandella, the trained lawyer and lifelong rebel outmaufred the apartheid leaders. And he steered south africas peaceful transitionings to democracy. He won a Nobel Peace Prize together with his former enemy the leader f. W. De klerk. I will devote myself to the wellbeing of the republic and all its people. Then he became south africas first black president in 1994. So help me god. What marks mandelas career as president more almost more than anything else, this is after five years, he stepped down. There have been very few president s in africa who have ever given up willingly. Dont cull call me. Ill call you. His retirement years were busy with fundraising for Charities Close to his heart. He celebrated his 90th birthday with much fanfare. And told cnn in a rare interview that looking back, he wouldnt do anything differently. I dont regret it because the things that attracted me were things that pleased my soul. Now those who loved and respected him look to his legacy. And if we want to learn from him, learn that life is not made up of separate victories. Its made up of mistakes, zigzags, stumbling, picking yourself up, and dusting off the dirt, treating the bruise, and walking again forward. And thats what mandela is. Goodbye. Robyn curnow, cnn, johannesburg, south africa. Just a magical moment when you see the smile and the dance there i had a couple opportunities to meet him. Extraordinary. The life inside of him, the lessons learned, absolutely. Apparently a bit of a flirt too. He was. Ladies man. Now in the final years of his life, as we know, he hasnt been well for sometime. Secret plans were hammered out that involved the government, the military even and also mandelas family about what to do, preparing a fitting farewell for this great man. And even the current South African president jacob zunl ma announcing plans for the funeral today including a national day of prayer and reflection this sunday. Also anpeir memory it will service at johannesburg soccer stadium next tuesday. His burial set for december 15th. That burial area is in his hometown especially built for him. Some of his long deceased family members are already buried at that site. Thats where he wanted to be buried. This is Nelson Mandelas twitter account, sending out inspiring quotes from him. Wed like to share a few letters from Robben Island prison and the speeches throughout his life. He says i learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. He also said do not judge me by my successes. Judge me by how many times i fell down and got back up again. Everyone it can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to the and passionate about what they do. Good advice there. Heres more what were working on this hour for around the world, mandel lal spent years in notorious Robben Island prison. He was beaten but never broken. Hear why he sacrificed himself to end the terrible system of racial segregation and humiliation. My name is mike and i quit smoking. Chantix. 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The boss of your life. The chief life officer. Cortizone10 has the strongest nonprescription itch medicine plus moisturizers to help heal skin fast. Cortizone10. Feel the heal. Extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud. Our daily dues as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanitys belief in justice. That will distinctive voice and those words that resonate to the this day. Nelson mandela, of course, spent 27 years of his life in prison, much of that time in notoriously brutal conditions in a place called Robben Island off the coast of south africa. Few can recount the horror that mandela and other prisoners endured their time there. One of his fellow inmates talked to cnn about his time in prison alongside mandela. I didnt i didnt think it would ever happen. I thought the generation of prisoners who were there with mr. Mandela would not see a free south africa. Those who passof us in our 20s time by the time change made would be pretty old and wouldnt be able to make a contribution to a democratic south africa. Mandela spent 18 years behind those walls. He was confined to a very tiny cell. The floor served as his bed and a bucket was his toilet. He was forced to do hard labor. Actually literally breaking rocks. He was only allowed one visitor a year. And that was for 30 minutes. This was usually his then wife winnie mandela, familiar to many. They werent allowed to even touch. He was only allowed two letters a year from his family. President obama and his family toured Robben Island during their first visit to south africa in june into word of any son mandelas death spread quickly around the world and the United States, of course. For Many Americans his death was like losing one of his own. President obama met the leader in 2005 and he and the first lady visited south africa in june but they were unable to meet with mandela due to his failing health. The president paid tribute to the falling icon counting himself among the millions influenced by mandela. The day he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when theyre guided by their hopes and not by their fears. And like so many around the globe, i cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that will Nelson Mandela set. Want to bring in andrew young, civil rights leader and former ambassador to the united nations. Welcome, as well as james joseph, former u. S. Ambassador to south africa and Duke University professor, both of who new mandela very well on a personal level. Ambassador, id like to start with you. You draw parallels. You talk about how this was so important, so significant in some ways to the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle at the time. For us, i was a College Student when we had a lot of those divest from the from the south africa shantytowns in the yards of the campuses. Tell us the connected you had with the Civil Rights Movement. Understood that as dr. King said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. And so we knew of chief albert la tooley and the African National crisis. We entertained oliver tambo and mbeki when they were in exile. But my first real conflict, i went to south africa with arthur ashe in 1974 to play tennis. We tried to seaman della and didnt but we saw robert subuqwai who had just gotten out of jail and we started the sanctions movement in the congress. And the first two, i remember bill gray and i were working on this bill and we didnt want it to be a black caucus bill so we went to jack kemp and Newt Gingrich who were republicans who said they were conservative but not racist. We said this is a good chance for you to put your names on something that is conservative democracy and Free Enterprise is what were advocating. They were the first two to sign. And then everybody signed up. But there was opposition too, wasnt there . There was plenty of opposition, but the opposition was balanced out by nigeria because nigeria was the leading trading partner with great britain. And when president ba sen joe found that nigerian oil was going to south africa, he cut off oil to britain and canceled over 2 billion worth of british contracts. Then Margaret Thatcher sent lord carington down to meet with him. They formed that committee of esteemed persons that ended up completing the negotiations and i think it was one of the finest hours of the commonwealth. Yeah. And the u. S. Congres