In honor of Nelson Mandela’s birthday, which the UN General Assembly declared as Nelson Mandela International Day, everyone is encouraged to carry out 67 minutes of volunteer work. Why 67, you ask? This was the total number of years that Mr. Mandela committed to serving the greater good of the world as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa. Although 67 minutes does not do justice to an outstanding 67 years, it still makes all the difference.
Some people may find that 67 minutes of direct volunteer work is hard to come by, due to the demands of their busy schedules. This should not excuse them from devoting an hour and 7 minutes of their time to charity work, especially now that organizations offer the opportunity to volunteer from the comfort of their own homes! For example, one can help an organization design a flyer, edit a blog post, provide business or legal expertise or even make a friendly phone call to a lonely senior citizen, all of which can help change our world for the better.
Given today’s economic climate and cutting of human services, everyone should feel a sense of obligation to participate in some form of volunteerism. Whether it’s online or in person, 67 minutes or 67 years, we encourage you to volunteer!
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