Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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Nelson Mandela: A century of stirring up trouble
Today marks the centenary of the birth of Madiba. EMILE SCHEPERS writes on his life story
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
NELSON ROLIHLAHLA MANDELA was born on July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa, into a branch of the royal family of the Tembu people.
The name Rolihlahla means “stirring up trouble;” the name Nelson was given to him by a mission school teacher.
In South Africa, Mandela was universally known by his clan name, Madiba.
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The shared path of the South African Communist Party and the ANC to the ballot box has found itself at a junction. SABINA PRICE reports
SALEEM BADAT and VASU REDDY introduce a new book about an outstanding interpreter of the world, and an activist scholar committed to changing society
The charter emerged from a profoundly democratic process where people across South Africa answered ‘What kind of country do we want?’ — but imperial backlash and neoliberal compromise deferred its deepest transformations, argues RONNIE KASRILS