Mandela Day 2019

Tennessee United for Human Rights (TnUHR) held an event on Mandela Day where four young artists, Norah and Jazzelyn, age 11, and Harper and Annalise, age 5, were announced as the winners of the Youth for Human Rights Summer Art Contest.

Those attending the event watched a visual biography of Mandela’s life, where they learned about the challenges he faced and the tremendous impact he had on his own nation and the world.

Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela’s birthday. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010. The Mandela Day campaign message is: “Nelson Mandela has fought for social justice for 67 years. We’re asking you to start with 67 minutes.” According to a statement issued on Mandela’s behalf on the adoption of his day by the United Nations, his hope was that it would “bring together people around the world to fight poverty and promote peace, reconciliation and cultural diversity.” 

“It was with exactly these aims that we held this event for Mandela Day and sponsored the Youth for Human Rights Summer Art Contest—to inspire young people to learn more about human rights and become human rights advocates,” said Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Nashville Church of Scientology and regional coordinator for TnUHR.

“It’s so important for people to learn at a young age what their human rights are,” continued Rev. Fesler. “We live in a world where rights are being taken away by those seeking to oppress and this is made easier by the fact that people just don’t know what their rights are. Education is vital in this battle against ignorance and oppression.”

TnUHR is the Tennessee state chapter of United for Human Rights, the world’s largest nongovernmental human rights education campaign, active in 192 countries. The initiative is inspired by L. Ron Hubbard’s conviction that “It is vital that all thinking men urge upon their governments sweeping reforms in the field of human rights.”