曼德拉赢得反种族隔离制度斗争的胜利。

1994年5月10日，年届75岁的纳尔逊·曼德拉（Nelson Mandela）正式就任南非总统，成为这个历经300多年白人统治的国家的第一位黑人总统。

在南非第一次真正民主的总统选举中，他赢得的胜利实属来之不易: 曼德拉曾因反抗种族隔离制度身陷囹圄27年。非洲的种族隔离制剥夺了南非非白人公民的做人尊严，以及他们作为公民充分参与本国政治和经济生活的权利。

曼德拉自从1999年完成总统任期以来，一直致力于倡导人权。

联合国已把他的生日——7月18日——定为“曼德拉国际日”（Mandela International Day），呼吁世界各地的个人与组织以帮助他人的方式来纪念纳尔逊·曼德拉为社会正义而斗争的岁月。

Nelson Mandela fought and won the battle against apartheid

On May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela, at age 75, was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president after more than 300 years of white rule.

His victory in South Africa’s first truly democratic presidential election was hard-won: Mandela had suffered 27 years in prison for his fight against apartheid, a system of segregation that deprived nonwhite South Africans of both their human dignity and their rights to fully participate as citizens in the political and economic life of their country.

Since completing his term as president in 1999, Mandela has devoted his life to advocating for human rights.

The United Nations has designated his birthday — July 18 — as Mandela International Day and calls for individuals and organizations the world over to help others as a way to commemorate the years Nelson Mandela has devoted to the struggle for social justice.