Can make the difference
The biggest and most important aim for every state is to care for its people. This also includes offering every child the eduction it needs, for they are the future. While we’re arguing about results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in order to ensure an even better education for our children, many hundreds of children in developing countries cannot even go to school or their learning conditions are so catastrophic that they do not really learn anything at all. There’s a major lack of money, equipment and professional personnel, a vicious circle that cannot be stopped even by the most committed work of aid organisations.

If we want to fight this abject poverty in those countries, thus offering everyone in this world fair and equal possibilities, we need special ideas apart from regular projects, in order to let that huge mass of children gain access to knowledge. If they can learn how to teach themselves new things, they can participate in their country’s future. A project called “One Laptop per Child” is an example for this: Its aim is to equip all indigent children on this planet with a laptop, which is specially tailored for those children’s needs and the conditions in developing countries. The really special thing about them is that their production is as cheap as 100$ per unit and that it is freely programmable, so that each pupil or student can adjust the computer to their own needs, maybe in cooperation with their teachers and fellow-students.

Many countries have already indicated interest in these computers, some laptops are even already in use. The more children of this world own such a laptop, the sooner whole countries may escape their bottomless pit of education. This way, their children can look forward to a safe, self-determined future. A lack of education creates dependence – everywhere in the world. However, while only very few cannot visit school in industrial nations, it is simply reality in developing countries not to go to school. The catastrophic educational situation in those countries is actually one of the main reasons for their – not only financial – dependence on industrial nations.

Isn’t it a symbol of humanity to offer young, hopeful people the means to lead a beautiful and free life? We claim this right to education and self-determination for our own children, so why not for all the other children in our world? It is our empathy that makes us human. We have the ability to look over the rim of the tea cup of our privileged world, and what we see are young people who might never have the chance to escape their dependence on relief supplies from foreign countries, just because they have no money to afford proper education.

If only one laptop per child can greatly improve their prospects, then what are we waiting for?

Tanja Schumann was born on 03.08.1962 in Lüneburg.
At the age of seven, she started her dance education at the rennomated National Opera School in Hamburg. After graduating from high school, she studied sports at university. Additionaly, Tanja Schuman began her acting and dance training. Yet at the age of 22 she was casted for a part in the musical “Große Freiheit Nr. 7″ at a famous hamburger theatre. Different engagements and even a part in the play “Der Ölprinz” at the german Karl-May-Festival followed. It took a while until Tanja Schumann became more familiar with a bigger public. In 1993, the northern german whirlwind got the chance to demonstrate her comedic talent in the popular Saturday Night Show, broadcasted by the TV channel RTL. Between 1993 and 1998 she became an important part of the ensemble and finally got awarded with the Bavarian Television Award. Tanja Schumann is an all-round talented star. Besides her parts in different shows, TV-films and sitcoms she plays theatre and works as a voice actor for different animated movie productions . She married Stefan Burmeister upon a truck at the hamburger musicevent “Schlagermove” on 08.07.2007.

However Tanja Schumann is not only a comedian and an actor, but she also got involved with different social projects. For instance, she is a sustaining member of Kronos, an association that is fighting against child abuse and that is giving help to the victims and their families. Kronos stands up against tabooization of sexual violence by sensitizing society to this issue and by assisting both children and adults.

Besides, Tanja Schumann gets involved with “Plan International”, an international Children´s Fund which is working in developping countries and lobbying for children´s rights. Since 1995, the german actress is godmother of Rauni from Nepal as well as of Silvia from Honduras. Due to her godparenthood, these both children got hope for a better life. And due to her visits with her godchildren, Tanja Schumann knows about the problems children living in the poorest areas of our world have whilest she was also able to see for herself, how effective the projects of Plan International actually are. In place of visiting a school, many girls living in these countries have to start working at a young age, in order to financially support their family. By the use of godparenthoods, Plan International establishes a basis which enables any child to get a well-grounded education. Another important concern of Plan International is an adequate supply of the villages with drinking water as well as education about health issues.

Ernesto Rafael Guevara de la Serna, better known as Che Guevara, probably was the most popular revolutionary of our time. All his lifetime, he put himself out for his ideas and ideals as a politician but as well as guerilla fighter.

Che Guevara was born on June 28th, 1928 in the Argentinian city of Rosario, where he wasn’t able to go to public school due to his severe asthma. When his condition of health bettered, however, he was looking for more and more social contacts, especially to those living in the poor neighbourhoods, although Che grew up in a wealthy family. Che Guevara, who began to notice the miserable conditions of life for the lower social classes only in his early adolescence, felt that the inequalities in his society were both alarming and fatal, a feeling to determine his further political development. Since that time, he began to feel the political discontent growing inside him, which would later on lead him to his deeds, although he had never had to suffer from the negative aspects of those social structures personally.

His grandmother’s death motivated sensitive Che Guevara to study medicine at the “Universidad Nacional de Córdoba” (National University of Córdoba). This way, he intended to fulfil his wish, that is, to help others. He achieved his doctorate much later, however, as he had planned a trip all over the Latin-American continent with a friend before, in order to get to know the social circumstances in other countries as well. During his travels, he soon noticed that social justice in the neighbouring states were as bad as in his Argentinian home country, if not worse.

On another journey after his doctorate, Che carefully watched the actions of the global company “United Fruits” in Costa Rica, as he strolled about their areas and saw the severe working and living conditions of their workers. Not only here was he deeply touched by the kind of vicious circle every member of a lower class got into. The children couldn’t afford a future-proof education, as it was too costly and time-consumptive. Instead, they had to support their parents through hard labour, so that they could buy their whole family something to eat. The lack of education then prevented them from getting a well-paid job, thus forcing the next generation to do as the previous ones.

Che Guevara knew that the step out of poverty couldn’t be taken by most families without any help from outside, so it was up to politics to offer them help, to change the situation, to lead the people all over the country into solidarity, not to let the poor and the rich drift apart any further through hate and fear. The Peruvian Hilda Gadea, whom Che Guevara had met during his journey through Guatemala, told him about Marxism and made him learn more about its doctrines and he soon found more like-minded people. Che Guevara saw how Guatemala’s president, Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, was brought down, which was something Che had wanted to prevent, as Guzmán supported the people, even introduced statutory minimum wages. The new president, Castillo Armas, however, arrested many of Guevara’s friends due to their political attitude and their express rejection towards his assumption of office.

In the summer of 1955, Guevara became acquainted with Fidel Castro, who was at that time living in exile in Mexico and had similar political thoughts to Che Guevara’s. He decided to bring down the Cuban president, Batista, and joined forces with other Cubans in exile. Che joined them as their military doctor. He and his fellow-fighters were once more arrested when their intentions and political attitude leaked out. However, they insisted on their plans and started the Cuban revolution in 1956, after they had all been set free.

Although Che Guevara was only acting as a doctor, he soon realised that his ideal obliged him to actively fight as well, which is why he accepted military tasks as well and soon became leader of the revolution due to his tactical and strategical talent. During his time in the Cuban Guerilla War, Che Guevara developed the ideology of the “New Man”. He wanted people to forget the aim of wealth and capital, to create something new and meaningful helping others instead of acting solely dependent on economical success.

He always stated that his idol was the guerilla fighter who put his life on stake for the sake of many people. So, the own advantages were put in the background, whereas the improvement of bad living conditions for all people were much more important. The so-called “New Man” should then be created by the whole society – and therefore all social classes – acting upon these ideals. It’s supposed to be a new human being not feeling satisfied by luxuries and money but for whom the highest aim is the creation of a better world for all. The New Man acting upon these principles doesn’t let himself get carried away by deceit and greed to precipitate others into ruin.

With his ideals, Che inspired millions of people all over the world to live in solidarity and made many of them put themselves out for social justice and fight political dictatorship. Guevara, however, lost his life in an execution as a prisoner in 1967 without any trial whatsoever. Today, we can still often see flags depicting Che Guevara, and especially adolescents often wear t-shirts with his face on them. If Che Guevara was still alive today, Cuba would certainly be better off, and maybe he could even have prevented some wars.

Che Guevara probably became too big a thorn in the flesh of the state, just like Martin Luther King or the Shakur family.

Herbert Grönemeyer’s love for music was cradled to him by his grandmother who was a successful singer as well. His father described himself as “hard and unfair”, so that Herbert Grönemeyer always says he was brought up in a strict surrounding with great love for music. His parents soon realised his musical talent, too, and they offered him piano lessons by the age of ten. Grönemeyer mad his big break in music business in 1984 with an album called “4630 Bochum” and every album to follow this one was a best-seller. With these albums, Grönemeyer created songs dealing with topics many listeners carried in their soul. This is also the main reason why his fans are so fascinated about him. The fact that Grönemyer sings in German, has certainly contributed to his success. He reaches a whole people, for he talks their language just like anyone else talks on the street every day.

What makes Grönemeyer’s songs so unique is the recognition, the ability to empathise. He writes lyrics with connection to real life, situations everyone has already experienced in a way. It’s emotions clothed in words and thus becoming fair. Sometimes, his lyrics remind of poems, like in his ballad “Halt mich” (English: “Hold me”) or his well-known hit “Flugzeuge im Bauch” (“Airplanes in the stomach” in correspondence to “to have butterflies in one’s stomach”). But it’s not only music which plays a major role in Herbert Grönemeyer’s life. His commitment for the socially disadvantaged is also very important for him. It was already in 1985 that Grönemeryer initiated the project “Band für Afrika” (English: “Band for Africa”) in which many artists and bands cooperated in order to collect money for starving children in Africa.

At this time, Herbert Grönemeyer is chairman of the action group “Deine Stimme gegen Armut” (“Your voice against poverty”) which is supported by the German Federal Government. The aim of this action group is to remind the western states of their voluntary agreement to halve the poverty on earth by the year 2015, and it’s good that people like Herbert Grönemeyer actively support such organisations, for it gives them a much bigger resonance. Herbert Grönemeyer came through for debt relief in the Third World and set an example for more humanity and against the capitalistic exploitation of the poor countries. He calls for solidarity with those who have nothing or not as much as the rest of the world. He invested great sums of his income into social projects which impresses as well! Actually, Herbert Grönemeyer is not only part of those who just talk but who really put themselves out for a better world.

The year 1998 became a very hard one for Herbert Grönemeyer. First of all, his brother died, and then, his wife Anna who had been fighting against breast cancer for years, followed. Herbert Grönemeyer was left with their two children and suffered a severe crisis. For a whole year, nothing was to be heard of him.

Then, in the year 2002, his album “Mensch” (English: “Human”, in the sense of “human being”, “person”) was released. It touched many people to the core and reached Platinum status even solely on the basis of its pre-orders. In this album, you will find every emotion life has to offer. The pain over his loss of his loved wife and brother. The hope that there’s still a tomorrow even if today way the darkest day of a life. The album lives off all of this and has a message: A person never stops being human. With this album, Herbert Grönemeyer really created a hymn on humanity. His clear message is that a human being simply is what it is. However, every human being should not forget about all the others surrounding them. Grönemeyer clearly pleads for cooperation, that is, to not look away any more. He wants people to be aware of others and to care for them, not to close their eyes and ignore truth.

Herbert Grönemeyer himself has a strong commitment for others and this he has since the beginning of his career – incessantly. Asked if he thinks that he was an idol, he always answers he didn’t know and didn’t care about it, as for him, the only thing that counts was that he could like the guy in the mirror in the morning. And if each of us would take a page from his book, the world would be a truly beautiful place.

It’s already been quite some time now that Xavier Naidoo is an important part of the German music scene. The son of a German-Tamil-Indian family had to cope with discrimination from his early childhood on. He was being bullied heavily because of his colour of the skin and was even threatened more than once. He was brought up with Roman Catholic belief and has kept the according values and moral principles up to this very day – a fact he’s living proof of in all his awesome songs and projects. He is a gifted singer, merging humanity and simpleness as well as his unique voice into a huge event.

Naidoo was brought up in Wallstadt, a neighbourhood in the German city of Mannheim, his most beloved city he’s still living in. He made his first musical experiences as a singer in church choirs and was beginning to grow popular with some performances in the USA, as well as musicals in Mannheim. One very important moment in his musical career certainly was the cooperation with Mrs. Setlur. He is and will always be the most popular son of his home town Mannheim, which becomes clear when he releases his latest project “Telegramm für X” (English: “Telegram for X”) which was a big hit. It’s simply an example for tolerance and humanity, for the belief in God and justice.

His dearest project, however, are “Die Söhne Mannheims” (English: “The Sons of Mannheim”) whom he pledged allegiance. With the name of his tours with this band he hopes for positive reactions of his fans: “Bist Du am Leben interessiert?” (English: “Are you interested in life?”). The reactions indeed were positive in regards to his successes in Germany. This very charismatic singer has recently broadened his area of work by various projects, but nevertheless, he never stagnates in his musical development, always adding new, exciting thoughts dealing with the state of our society.

In the last years, he managed to coin his very own sound that everyone recognizes as his own. Xavier Naidoos’ appeal on his fans is clear: especially in our fast paced world today, it’s important to believe in the good in every human being, and this is exactly what he does. His quite special position towards religion becomes obvious in his lyrics. Even when it comes to prizes and awards, his position towards belief and God becomes clear. Not for nothing was he awarded the title “Singing Agent of God” by a magazine, a title he gladly accepted.
He says, the Bible is addressing itself to him directly, and that he uses much of its content for his own way and also states the Bible really impresses him.

He really is someone who cares a lot about others and has already done so much for them with his actions for several aid organizations like Brothers Keepers but he’s also become well-known for other projects, like the Söhne Mannheims or the so-called “Rilke Projekt”. Xavier Naidoo’s project “Zeichen der Zeit” (English: Signs of the times”) is a collaboration with many different great artists. This outstanding project contains an important message, that is, the deep belief in God. With this, he wants to express that his message is to be spread into the world, so that all the world can be changed in a positive way by each of us.

Madonna Louise Veronice Ciccone, better known as the world star Madonna, was born on August 16th, 1958 in Michigan, more precisely in the little town of Bay City. Today, she’s looking back over a 25 years career on stage she can be proud of. Not only because Madonna is a gifted musician and above all a supreme songwriter, but also because she’s innovated music history by her extravagant and elaborate music videos. With her partly obscene-looking videos, Madonna doesn’t intend anything but to stir people up, so that they think about certain problems predominant in our world and change something about them by their commitment.

You only have to think of Madonna’s spectacular show, in which she roiled the whole world with her crucifixion scene. This is just typical of the exceptional artist Madonna, for she actually wanted do express that a big potential need for help does not only exist in Malawi. In Malawi, Madonna has, among other things, started an aid project, and besides that, she puts all her energy in many other projects. With her crucifixion scene, though, she wanted to point out in a very drastic way that the misery on our world is not simply focused on one single place. Madonna is of the opinion that the willingness of mankind to help is asked here, for each and every one of us can and should do something against the poverty in this world and, for example, against child mortality.

Furthermore, Madonna has made her mark in the world of fashion. What we can see here, is a designer always creative and eager to work on new outfits. It was already quite early in her life that Madonna made her experiences in the world of fashion, as she indeed was a very popular model. With her campaign against the Iraq War, she’s caused another wave of protest, as with nearly all of her actions. Radio stations boycotted Madonna’s songs, a fact that might have damaged her career in the USA but is far from having knocked her off course.

She will continue fighting against this kind of politics with all her energy and commitment. With her project “Raising Malawi”, Madonna clearly sets an unconventional example of aid. She declares that people should consider the high amount of more than 1,000,000 orphan children alone in Malawi a sign to open their homes and their hearts and give those children a new home. People can also help this way, as there are so many couples with the strong wish of having a child, so why not give those children a save and happy future? Those children can be saved from a life without love and full of poverty and death. Madonna as well hopes that her project makes people think about their own motives of acting and get own ideas of where and in which form help is needed.

Everyone can do something to help the children of this world, especially those in Malawi.

Ulrich Wickert was born in the japanese capital Tokio on the second of December in 1942. During his childhood he had already lived in many different countries. When he was very young, he lived in Heidelberg in Germany. Later he moved to Paris and went to school there. As a 14 year old boy he already reported on the Eiffel Tower in the Rhein-Necker newspaper and so made his debut in the journalistic world at a very young age.

After his diploma from a German secondary school Ulrich Wickert studied political science and law in Bonn and went on a scholarship to the USA. He achieved his juristic state examination and after working as a writer for a radio station, he began with his work as editorial journalist for the political broadcast “Monitor” shown on the ARD. Ulrich Wicker worked as foreign correspondent for a TV station in Paris and then inWashington. In 1981 he began to manage the studios of the ARD in New York and later the studios in Paris, too.

On 1.July 1991 he took over the presentation of the “Tagesthemen” on the ARD, which brought him closer to the public. He became very popular and finished his work as a presenter at the 31. August 2006. But he is still present in television in his programme “Wickerts Bücher” which began in 2006. That Ulrich Wickert is such a popular presenter is shown in a survey from 2004. This displays that he is the fourth favorite presenter in German television. Ulrich Wickert has several times received awards for his work. Amongst others he won the “Goldene Kamera” in 1994 and was honoured by of the German-French journalistic prize. Outside of television the citizen of the world Ulrich Wickert is involved in several projects to help his fellow men.

He founded the organization “Bürger für Bürger” and is the patron of the charitable “Albertinen” foundation. He also advocates with great commitment the “Plan International”, an aid organization for children, where people can take the godparenthood for children of the Third World. Ulrich Wickert promotes the “Plan International” and appeals to everyone to help make the world a better place especially for the people from the poorest regions of the world.

Shakira, a really exceptional artist and world star, is a truly modest and straight woman adhering to whatever she does or is going to do.
She was born on February 2nd 1977 in Baranquilla, Colombia. Her so-called real name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, and it was already as a young girl of eight years that she was avid for music. In this age she had already begun creating her own songs and lyrics which she presented at home. She then decided to perform them at her friends’ places as well, leading to early successes. People were especially fond of her exceptional dance style and choreographies that she created on her own. From her 13th year of age, her success was not to be stopped any more, as she bewitched all Latin Americans with her performances to her own lyrics. After her great success in Latin America, where she had successfully released her first two albums, she was now chosen to represent her country at the OTI festival in Spain. However, at the time, Shakira was only 15 years old, so she wasn’t allowed to participate. After this deep hit, she decided to drop out of school and produce her albums on her own. Now, the young artist was unstoppable: with only sweet 16 years, she starts her two-year world tour.

She manages to cast a spell on the audience over and over again which is mainly because no other female artist enjoys singing and dancing live in front of their fans. This woman is bursting with professionalism and charm, so it’s easy for her to win her fans’ hearts. Yet this is but one side of this exceptional artist: Shakira is not only a singer but as well ambassadress for the children of her country. During the next three years, she’s going to put more and more effort into her new project to help the poorest of the poor in her home country. This way, she’s going to cause an improvement of both living and educational conditions for her children. She’s also going to support her foundation with more than five million US dollars.

Shakira clearly says she has seen with her own eyes that the situation is dramatically sharpening with more than 40 million children in Latin America without the privilege to be able to go to school. 400,000 children alone die only because there’s no medical attendance, there’s a serious lack of clean water and many more things. It’s simply her actual want to give back something to her country and her children who she loves more than anything else, and so she collects money whenever she can in order to improve her country’s crucial situation. It’s also why the artist makes the effort to create such exceptional projects like the cooperation with car manufacturer Seat, so people donate money for her children in Colombia.

In cooperation with Seat, her main sponsor of her Europe tour, she’s designed and developed a special edition model on basis of the Seat Leon. She really enjoyed the work on it, for she could show her exceptional creative character Shakira helped deciding on the used colours and is responsible for most of the interior’s materials.
The car was named after her foundation which was founded in 1997: “Fundación Pies Descalzos” which in English means something like “Barefoot Foundation”. All income obtained through the auction sale of the car of course go to the Fundación Pies Descalzos. With this foundation, the exceptional artist is supporting homeless children in Colombia. She can be proud of her work, for she has already given thousands of children a new home and supported a better nutrition. It’s admirable as well that she always speaks quite modestly about her excellently done job. She prefers acting instead of talking. Her project also keeps an eye on educational institutions for the homeless children.

Shakira has been nominated as ambassadress for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in 2003 and takes her job seriously. Children are the most valuable good on earth, and for Shakira, it’s an inner necessity to improve children’s lives so that they have a right on a happy future. They should be inspired with confidence for a new start into their lives. Shakira has succeeded in 2,600 children now being schooled and cared for in five schools in the cities of Barranquilla, Bogotá and Quibdó.
She says her commitment was especially dedicated to those children not having the aforementioned chances, that is, children living under socially deprived conditions. Those children are the ones needing assistance the most, and with the respective schools and kindergartens, this assistance can be offered.
Through her foundation “ALAS”, she could donate the incredible amount of 40 million dollars in 2007 for the reconstruction of regions in Peru and Nicaragua devastated by a natural disaster.
On December 15th 2007, she received the “Charity Person of the Year” award.

A symbol of humanity

Neslson Mandela was born on July 18th, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa. His original name is Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela which means “troublemaker”. However, young Mandela didn’t fulfil this fate, as he had a quite unspectacular and protected childhood in his home village.
It was already in his young years that he was confronted with the Apartheid, the racial segregation. His father was deprived of his province by a minority government, so that he not only lost his job virtually overnight but all his fortune at the same time. Mandela’s father died when Nelson was only nine years old. Young Nelson Mandela then became leader of his whole family and dean of the household, according to African law, which obliged him to take a lot of responsibility.

When he was a young student of law, Nelson Mandela refused to accept the white minority government and the fact that non-white citizens weren’t given the same rights in social, economic and educational issues. Due to his overall non-violent protest, he was accused of high treason, armed resistance against the state and incitement against the regime of Apartheid. In 1962, he was then sentenced to life imprisonment, but the judgement was invalidated owing to long-lasting international protest and pressure of the public in 1990. The president of the state, F.W. de Klerk had issued the order to free Mandela. He and Mandela were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the year 1993 for their achievements in their home country and for the abolishment of
Apartheid. One year later, Mandela was constituted the first president of South Africa with black colour of the skin. After his resignation in 1999 he kept following his line and worked as lawyer for various social projects and human rights organisations.

Today, some people might have a hard time imagining that the Apartheid was considered “normal” in South Africa up to the late eighties. Unfortunately though, this sad chapter of South African history actually didn’t end until the early nineties. The trigger for this dates back to the time of colonialisation, when European “tribes” discovered Africa and started settling there. Soon, racial conflicts between the indigenous people of Africa and the colonial empires of Great Britain and the Netherlands arouse.
The nation of South Africa never could get over this inner lack of peace, which was the birth for racial segregation that reached to all areas of daily life and considered white people as “superior and more valuable race” than any other ethnicity. The legitimisation for this was drawn from different ideological teachings modified to fit the idea of Apartheid. The Dutch people, for example, reasoned with the Calvinist theory of predestination which says that all peoples’ fate is predestined by certain factors already set at birth and thus not to be changed.

In daily life, Apartheid not only required immense administrative and costly effort, but also meant a two class society for the country which is going to be host for the Football World Championship in near future. There were separate public facilities, such as toilets, school and other facilities of education and generally, open transport was divided into compartments for white and black people. This racial segregation, which is also called “Petty Apartheid”, was thus present for every citizen and guest of the country. Many possibilities of self-fulfilment and emancipation were kept shuttered from the majority of the population. But sadly, that wasn’t all: The so-called “Grand Apartheid” included that white people and those of different colours of the skin had to live in separate neighbourhoods. While the suburbs of the White could easily be noticed by a better quality of life and a better overall infrastructure, all the others had to live in settlements near to rubbish tips and often without any possibility to participate in usual daily life. Whenever there was no more room for the white population, the others were simply resettled and banned to the outer areas of the cities. Every citizen of non-white colour of the skin was stigmatised as an unwanted but more or less tolerated person with a “C” for “coloured” in their passport. It’s no wonder whatsoever that those banished didn’t take their fate calmly but started many riots which led to many dead members of the resistance in South Africa.

Nelson Mandela is often mentioned in the same breath as the end of Apartheid. With him, the country changed from a race-oriented dictatorship to an equality-oriented, democratic South Africa. By now, Mandela has become the symbol and incarnation of the victory of mankind over the racism in Africa. It was a way full of suffering for him, which had brought him 27 years in prison until he was finally set free thanks to a growing resistance in the rest of the world.

The words “Together we are strong” are not only mere empty phrases, we can see this in Mandela’s example. The peaceful solidarity of mankind is today more important than ever. Only if many raise their voices can we show up social injustices and get rid of them. Owing to his non-violent resistance and his vision of a better and social world, Mandela is to be mentioned in the same breath as other civil and human rights campaigners like Martin Luther King, who mainly stood up for the African immigrants of the United States of America and the abolition of racial segregation.

Today, Nelson Mandela is coming through for children suffering from AIDS with his project “46664″ – his former number as a prisoner which he was given in the prison of Robben Island. In 2007, a film directed by Joseph Fiennes was released, based upon James Gregory’s memoirs who was Nelson Mandela’s prison guard. This film is called “Goodbye Bafana” and brings Nelson Mandela’s life much closer to the viewer than, e.g. books or coverages about Nelson Mandela.

And even when he’ll eventually die, Nelson Mandela will always be kept in our memories as a legend of humanity and fighter for the good.

The Visionary of peace
Martin Luther King was born into a black family on January 15th 1929 in Atlanta (Georgia). From the early days of his childhood, he could notice racial discrimination and injustice which dominated black citizens’ lives most of all in the southern states of the US. Martin Luther King started standing up for equal rights for people of all colours of the skin when he was still very young, and it was in Mahatma Gandhi who had achieved India’s independence from the British control through non-violent demonstration that he found his great idol.

When Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery in 1955 because she refused to give her seat in a bus to a white woman, the black population started the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott led by Martin Luther King which lasted for more than one year. In 1956, the boycott was called off by a decision of the Supreme Court which prohibited any racial segregation in public transport in Montgomery.

This decision was the key to Martin Luther King’s non-violent resistance which was not only about to be dominant in his further way of life but which would also radically change the society of the United States of America. The vision of non-violent resistance in order to achieve the abolishment of racial discrimination and segregation was the new civil rights campaigner’s stated aim. Uncounted numbers of protest marches, manifestations and events cast a spell on King and attracted more and more impressed people to follow their new charismatic leader. Although preaching and living absolute non-violence, Martin Luther King was more than once attacked by his enemies, and there were even a total of three bomb attempts on him. In the time between 1955 and 1968 he was sentenced to at least thirty prison terms.

Nevertheless, Martin Luther King didn’t slacken his hold on the reins and kept standing up vehemently for the equality of all people. His probably most impressing speech was held in 1963 in Washington, which he began with the unforgettable words “I have a dream…” and which deals with the equality of all races, colours of the skin, religions and classes. Among other influence, it is thanks to this speech that, some time later, two very important laws were passed: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 stopped racial segregation at least on the paper and the Voting Rights Act passed 1965 gave the black citizens the possibility to vote. In 1964, Martin Luther King was bestowed the Nobel Peace Prize for his relentless and highly altruistic commitment. Martin Luther King’s last public appearance was on April 3rd 1968 in Memphis (Tennessee), where he held his well-known speech “I’ve seen the promised land”. Only one day later, he was shot by a white racial freak.

Martin Luther King was profoundly convinced that every aim can be reached through non-violent resistance and peaceful protest. His great success shows that this is true. The probably greatest American civil rights campaigner managed to abolish racial segregation which had, especially in the South of the United States of America, grown to inhumane dimensions. Abraham Lincoln always was the big idol of Martin Luther King, as he had already abolished slavery in the USA in 1862. Although the execution of the laws designed to bring equality was still a long and weary process, from the middle of the sixties on, black citizens were able to make use of the civil rights, which led to a great feeling of freedom and emancipation that to many ones was of an even higher meaning than the right to vote.

Maybe Martin Luther King could feel that time was ripe for changes: the United States of America found themselves in the middle of a bloody and hopeless Vietnam War which made violence and death a constant companion in the media and in peoples’ lives. A non-violent nation with emancipated citizens seemed to be the highest aim for Martin Luther King, for which he used all his power and his energy. Martin Luther King was not only a mere visionary for a better world in which all people were emancipated and could live together peacefully, as he didn’t rest until his big dream came true.