Without fanfare, the editors at AAT wish to remind our readers of the legacy of Nelson Mandela on the occasion of what would have been his birthday, a day which has become a day of service in the Republic of South Africa (see #MandelaDay and #Time2Serve on Twitter).

Without the graciousness and leadership of Mr. Mandela, the rule of law governing the country and the open discussions engendered on AAT & AAF would not be possible today.

As one journalist observed in 2013 upon the former President’s and civil-rights icon’s death:

Few world leaders can claim among their devotees a cast as diverse as the English monarch, the president of the Palestinian Authority, and Chinese human rights activists. In Beijing and Tel Aviv, Lagos and Havana, London and Washington, DC, many around the world awoke Friday morning with their leaders momentarily united by the loss of one of the 20th century’s most revered statesmen.