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“Rising every time we fall” – Nelson Mandela

Mandela s-s on whiteMark Perryman of Philosophy Football explains the initiative they have launched in memory of Mandela to raise funds for social justice in South Africa today.

Nelson Mandela’s unique achievement lies in dreaming of a free society, fighting for that dream in the face of the most vicious oppression, never surrendering that dream during the long years of imprisonment. And then turning the dream into some kind, however imperfect, of reality that shines brightly compared to South Africa’s still recent Apartheid past.

Our T-shirt with exclusive portrait specially created by Philosophy Football co-founder Hugh Tisdale, depicts the young Mandela. The dreamer, the fighter, the courageous resistance he showed at his Rivonia Trial in 1964 before the 26 years of imprisonment he would face.

The T-shirt will raise funds for the successor campaign to the Anti-Apartheid Movement , Action For South Africa. A shirt not for the political hypocrites and come-latelies who have discovered Mandela’s towering presence only in the past week yet when it mattered wouldn’t lift a finger to help him. Instead its for us. The ones who boycotted Cape Apples and Barclays, stopped the Tours, marched and picketed, danced to the ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ beat. A shirt for the memories, to be worn with pride in what we were part of. This is the spirit behind our ambition to raise £1000 for ACTSA before Christmas. In South Africa thousands of ex-miners are now suffering from silicosis after years of digging for apartheid gold with no compensation or decent healthcare provided. We will help ACTSA’s Justice for South African Miners Campaign fund the fare for a spokesperson of these workers to come to Britain for the annual general meeting of Anglo American, the largest gold mining company in South Africa throughout the twentieth century. To meet with shareholders, politicians, trade unions and the media and put pressure on Anglo American to pay for decent compensation and support. The struggle for human dignity in South Africa continues. This week more than ever it matters that we remember that.

The Nelson Mandela T-shirt raising funds for ACTSA is available from Philosophy Football

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