The whitewashed praise is coming thick and fast from leaders that opposed his struggle for freedom, branded him a "terrorist", and were weak or even complicit in the apartheids of South Africa and of today. This dishonours Mandela's true legacy and misses the chance for our leaders to face the stark challenge that his life poses to all of us.
To protect Mandela's legacy, and remind our leaders of it, Avaaz staff have created a huge memorial wall right outside of his house in front of the world's media and we're filling it up with hundreds of messages from Avaaz members right now. Add a message to the global memorial -- to express love and gratitude for Mandela's life, and hope that our leaders will learn from his true legacy.