Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

General websites

Nelson Mandela is an important figure in world history. The following websites have useful information about him.

Nelson Mandela Foundation

The official website of the non-profit organisation founded by Nelson Mandela in 1999. The Nelson Mandela Foundation is focused on dialogue and advocacy, and memory and legacy work. This website contains a wealth of information on Mandela

• Select the Mandela Archives menu at the top of the page.

• Choose Biography & Timeline.

• Select the biography tile for information about Mandela's life and achievements.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are.

Britannica School

This is one of the EPIC databases. EPIC is a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.

• Select your learning level - Primary, Middle, or Secondary (you can always change this later).

• Carry out a keyword search for 'Nelson Mandela'.

• Go to the article called Nelson Mandela.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Biography (Gale In Context)

This EPIC database has a mix of different resources about famous people, including biographies, videos, and more.

• Go to Browse People.

• This list is in alphabetical order by last name. Find Mandela, Nelson.

• Select Read more for an overview of his early life, prison sentence, and time as President of South Africa.

• Or look further down the page for select Biographies, Videos and Images to explore more about him.

Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context)

This particular EPIC resource will allow you to explore both sides of an issue.

• Do a keyword search for 'Nelson Mandela'.

• You can browse the different content types under SHOWING RESULTS FOR near the top of the page.

• The Viewpoints section includes an essay about South Africa's post-apartheid government.

• The Videos section has some interesting videos, including What Mandela Means to South Africans.

Primary Sources

Primary sources are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it. Some examples of primary sources include letters, diaries, interviews, and speeches.

Literature Resource Centre (Gale)

This EPIC database has primary source material including literary works as well as biographical information and literary criticism.

• Do a keyword search for 'Nelson Mandela'.

• At the top of the page, under SHOWING RESULTS FOR, select Primary Sources & Literary Works.

• In Prison With Nelson Mandela is an interview with one of Mandela's fellow Robben Island inmates, and is a great example of a primary source.

World History (Gale In Context)

This EPIC database provides an overview of world history.

• Search for 'Nelson Mandela' in the search box.

• Look down the results page to view the different types of content.

• The Featured Content section includes the transcript of Mandela's 1994 inauguration speech: Nelson Mandela's Address to the People of Cape Town, Grand Parade, on the Occasion of his Inauguration as State President.

• The Primary Sources section features a speech from Mandela's partner in the African National Congress, Oliver Tambo Appeal for Action to Stop Repression and Trials in South Africa.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

The Guardian

This is a well-known newspaper in the United Kingdom that includes articles about events around the world.

• Go to the menu icon (three lines) to find the search option.

• Search for 'Nelson Mandela audio'.

• Choose Nelson Mandela, 1964: 'I am prepared to die' - audio recording of speech at sabotage trial.

YouTube

The popular video site YouTube has many videos about Nelson Mandela, including videos of speeches he has made.

• Entering 'Nelson Mandela speech' in the search box brings up a long list of results.

• Look for results from trusted organisations or news companies eg President Nelson Mandela Inauguration Speech May 10, 1994 from SABC news.

• The video Mandela speaks after gaining freedom from CBS News is a speech he made after being released from prison.

Tips: You need to be aware that the information on YouTube is contributed by lots of different people. It can be a good way to learn more about a topic, but you need to be careful that the information is accurate. If you are using this site, it always pays to check the information against that on other sites or in books from the library.

Tips: Some websites have advertisements (or ads) which ask us to buy something or tell us to ‘click here’. It’s best to ignore these ads and focus on the information we’re looking for.

Books

There have been many books written about Nelson Mandela - check out your local public or school library to see what they have.

• Long walk to freedom: the autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela, abridged by Chris Van Wyk.

• Nelson Mandela: an extraordinary life by Ann Kramer.

• Who Was Nelson Mandela? by Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso, Stephen Marchesi.

• Selected speeches and writings of Nelson Mandela : the end of apartheid in South Africa by Nelson Mandela.

• The prison letters of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela, Sahm Venter, Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela.

SCIS no: 1905046