Honour Mandela with a good deed

Residents have been urged to do any one of 67 community works to celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day. A photograph or the video of the work can also be a part of a souvenir of 67 stories to be published in October to inspire the community. Mandela's birthday has been declared the "Nelson Mandela International Day" conferred by a UN resolution adopted in November 2009. Nahtham Social Responsibility, a charitable organisation in the capital, the South African Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the business community will be organising a series of events until July 18, the 93rd birthday of Mandela. They have published a list of "67 ways to do the community work" including making friends with somebody from a different culture and several other activities in the areas of health, education, helping the poor, caring for the youth, elderly and the environment. "Select any one of the 67 activities or take up an activity of your own that will make a difference in the community," the organisers said at a press conference on Tuesday. "You have to dedicate 67 minutes for social responsibility at your home, workplace... or with the people who need you most on 18th July 2011," Yacoob Abba Omar, the South African Ambassador, said. "Sixty-seven minutes is a symbolic number, representing the number of years Mandela was actively involved in humanitarian activities. From / Gulf News