Hero - Haiti Observer Blog

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, popularly referred to as Nelson Mandela was born on 18th July 1918 in South Africa's Transkei. He was the son of Tembu Tribe's chief Henry Mandela. He studied in College of Fort Hare and University of Witwatersrand. In 1942, he attained his law degree. In 1944 he joined the African National Congress and joined in a resistance in 1948 against apartheid policies of the then ruling National Party. During 1956-1961, he was held on trial for treason but in 1961 he was acquitted.

Newsmaker Interview: Nelson Mandela, 1990

In 1960 when ANC was banned, Mandela proposed a military wing in ANC. In 1961 however, this proposal was considered to be a violent tactic and yet allowed the willing members of ANC to join Neslon Mandela's proposal without any fear. As a result, Umkhonto we Sizwe was formed. Mandela was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment with hard labor for a period of 5 years. In 1963 several Umkhonto we Sizwe and ANC fellow members were arrested and Mandela was once again charged for plotting the overthrow of the ruling party/government by using violence. In 1964, Mandela along with 7 others was sent for life imprisonment.

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Malya Villard-Appolon, the leader of KOFAVIV (Commission of Women Victims for Victims), has been included in one of the top ten heroes of CNN. Her inclusion was attributed to her efforts and campaigns to protect rape victims and to stop such a crime in Haiti. Malya Villard-Appolon was a two-time victim of rape herself. She was raped in 1992 and in 2003, while her daughter suffered the same fate. Despite this, however, Appolon did not give up. Instead, she established KOFAVIV and vowed to seek justice not just for herself and for her daughter but for all the women in Haiti, where the incidences of rape have been increasing.

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