Oliver Tambo

"I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people."

"We learn more when we have to struggle for our understanding."

"The prisoner is not as separated from society as many believe. He is still part of society."

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."

"The cell is an ideal place to learn to know yourself, to search realistically and regularly the process of your own mind and feelings."

"Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all, including their lives, for freedom."

"We are not makers of history. We are made by history."

"A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the kind of place we all want."

"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies."

"Sometimes it is better to lead from behind and put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things happen. You take the front line when there is danger."

"I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb."

"A man who takes away another man's freedom is a prisoner of hate."

"Where there is reckless abuse of power, there is no one who can call the masters to account."

"Music is a universal language that transcends all boundaries."

"The basis of good character is good education."

"I learned that a great leader must have the wisdom to know which battles to fight and which to avoid."

"Poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings."

"The most important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."

"We must build a nation in which every person knows they belong and matters."

"Our struggle has never been about race alone, though that has been part of our agony."

"Freedom and human dignity are not negotiable."

"We must use our minds for the betterment of all, not just the few."

"The chains of oppression are stronger for those who accept them willingly."

"True leadership is measured not by the power you wield but by the people you lift up."

"The future is bright for those who work towards creating it."

"We are all responsible for the state of the world we leave to our children."

"Only through collective action can we achieve lasting change."

"The pursuit of knowledge is the pursuit of freedom."

"I dream of a world where ability is not determined by the color of one's skin."

"To be human is to have the capacity for compassion and empathy."