July 18 is Mandela Day when we honor Nelson Mandela’s legacy of service and commitment to social justice, including the fight against extreme poverty. July 18 marks his birthday, the first one since his death in December at the age of 95. The day offers an opportunity to reflect on Mandela’s transformative impact on the world, the power of an individual to change the course of history, and his enduring legacy in the fight against extreme poverty.
“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity; it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation.”
At the World Bank Group’s Spring Meetings in April, the inspirational footage of Nelson Mandela speaking these words filled the Atrium, where World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and millennial generation leaders called for action to end extreme poverty by 2030. Countless people around the world are carrying forward the legacy of great leaders like Mandela, raising awareness and building momentum toward the goal – so no one has to live on less than $1.25 per day.
President Kim’s optimistic outlook shines through his words: "The great news is that we need everybody. We need writers who can write about this, we need engineers, we need doctors, we need lawyers, we need artists. We need everybody who can capture the imagination of the world to end poverty." The movement to end extreme poverty is in all of our hands.
As Nelson Mandela said, “Poverty...can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.” Honor his legacy and join in the fight against poverty. Sign the petition calling on all countries to take every possible action to end extreme poverty by 2030.