UNRWA, South African embassy mark Mandela Day

AMMAN — The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Jordan, in coordination with the South African embassy in Jordan, celebrated Nelson Mandela International Day at Jabal Hussein Preparatory Coed School 1&2 this week. 

This year’s theme was “One Hand Can Feed Another”, which highlights the importance of governments and citizens working together to build a peaceful, sustainable and equitable world for all, according to an UNRWA statement made available to The Jordan Times.

Ebrahim M. Saley, South Africa’s ambassador to Jordan and the director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan were among a group of embassy and UNRWA staff who attended the ceremony.

Embassy and UNRWA staff and a group of South African nationals living in Jordan, with the help of UNRWA students, together drew meaningful graffiti on the schoolyard walls and planted trees in the school garden.

The ceremony also included other activities related to instilling moral and human rights beliefs in the students' minds and hearts, while introducing them to the importance of diversity and anti-discrimination, said the statement.

The world has celebrated Nelson Mandela International Day since 2009 when the UN declared it an annual holiday, marking July 18 in his honour. 

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in the village of Mvezo, Cape Province, now called Eastern Cape. Mandela was the first democratically elected President of South Africa and served as president from 1994 to 1999.

Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan Marta Lorenzo expressed her gratitude to the South African delegation for this initiative and for choosing a UNRWA school to mark the occasion.

“Today, Palestine refugee students had a great chance to mark this important day along with their celebration for getting back to school after a long period of online learning," Lorenzo said.

"Such events affirm the importance of promoting human rights education at schools and reinforce in students the value of community service and the concept of human rights and humanitarianism,” Lorenzo added.