Honoring the legacy of Nelson Mandela

Statement from Joanne Carter, Executive Director of RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund

Washington, DC, December 6, 2013—”Today the RESULTS family mourns the loss of Nelson Mandela, one of history’s great champions for a more equitable and just world. Among the many battles he fought alongside the poor and the marginalized, Mandela had a commitment to ending the suffering caused by tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. He fought back against these epidemics in both his personal and political life, helping tear down the walls of stigma and push the world’s leaders to take action. And he reminded us that 'we cannot win the battle against AIDS if we do not also fight TB.'

Mandela fought to end poverty and its terrible consequences, and he called forth the leader in all of us, saying:

'I have been asked a question many a time, who is your hero? I say, my hero does not depend on the position a person occupies. My heroes are those simple men and women who have committed themselves to fighting poverty wherever that is to be found in the world.'

As we move forward in our work, we strive to honor Nelson Mandela’s example and remember the challenge he issued to each of us:

'What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.'“