Nelson Mandela - An International Leader Coursework

Nelson Mandela - An International Leader - Coursework Example His involvement in the African National Congress (ANC) and the organization’s activities to end apartheid led to his imprisonment in 1964 when he received a life sentence. His dream was to end apartheid and after many obstacles including 27 years in prison his goal was finally achieved in 1994 when he became the first democratically elected black president of South Africa. Nelson Mandela Dream and the Fight to End Apartheid Nelson Mandela’s dream was a united South Africa where everyone had the same rights. This dream started with his membership and in the ANC where he was soon elected to the executive committee of the Youth League. His struggle to end apartheid landed him in prison where he won the respect of fellow inmates. While there he continued to work towards his dream. In fact, he indicated that the struggle was his life (Mandela 1994). He was not about to give up but had to change his approach (tactics) to achieve his goal. In prison it was never easy but his o ptimism kept him going (Henderson 1996). From his seven by seven foot prison cell he communicated with and influenced his fellow prisoners. His skills at negotiating were obvious. In fact, in an article published in The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education in the summer of 1999, Mandela was described as very charismatic with great negotiation skills. His dream started to show signs of realization when he started to receive offers for release.