Expo celebrates Mandela Day

A series of celebrations were held by the South Africa Pavilion to celebrate Mandela Day on July 18 at the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

Seventy students from a migrant school in Shanghai were invited to the Expo to visit the pavilions, including the South Africa Pavilion and the Uruguay Pavilion.

The staff of the Uruguay Pavilion introduced Nelson Mandela and Mandela Day to the students, and treated them to traditional Uruguayan snacks.

At the South Africa Pavilion, Pavilion Director Schoeman du Plessis explained that the event, “67 Minutes” of community outreach, was to honor Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of commitment to fighting to achieve equality and freedom for all.

The celebrations also included a musical extravaganza bringing a line-up of some of South Africa’s top musicians, ranging from classical to reggae and jazz. Performing at the Culture Center of Shanghai Expo, five groups of musicians took the stage in turns to demonstrate musical diversity of South Africa.

Mandela Day is an annual celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life and a global call to action for people to recognize their individual ability to make an imprint and change the world around them. July 18 this year was Nelson Mandela’s 92nd birthday.

Video: Huang Lan & Wang Wei

For more coverage on Shanghai World Expo