In 1995 Nelson Mandela was the unanimous selection of the ACCORD Board of Trustees as recipient of the Award. The man, described in his address by the Secretary General of the OAU, Dr. Salim A. Salim, as ‘one of the greatest sons of Africa, a World Statesman and a legend in his lifetime’, is in many ways an embodiment of the very essence of everything the Africa Peace Award represents.
Liberation
The 1995 Award honoured Nelson Mandela’s pivotal role in the South African miracle. As ‘the single most vital symbol not only of liberation from the tyranny of apartheid, but of a new way of life’, he is a remarkable testimony to the power of negotiation and peaceful resolution of disputes.
He is an example of the possibilities for life and equity inherent in all conflicts. His life has shown what committed striving for peace and justice amidst conflict can accomplish.
