Lawyer. Revolutionary. Political Prisoner. World leader. Elder statesman. Symbol of the struggle against oppression. Nelson Mandela has been, and continues to be, all of these things and more; five years after his passing he remains a human rights icon and a globally recognised advocate for changes.

A major new exhibition, Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition, celebrates his life and legacy in a unique gallery space at 26 Leake Street (entrance on Addington Street SE1 7NN).

Running from now and until 2nd June, the immersive and interactive exhibition reveals his epic story in a series of experiential zones; from rural beginnings, through decades of struggle and imprisonment to his years as South Africa’s first democratically elected president and beyond.

In a world where injustice and inequalities are still rife, the exhibition provokes its audience with difficult questions and a call to action. 

As a ROTA member/supporter of our work, we have a special discount code AAM1250 for you to use (which includes a £1 donation to ACTSA, Action for Southern Africa ) when purchasing tickets on the website.

Greenwich Parent Voice (Greenwich, London) has created a short film on social media which addresses the under-reported issue of shame and stigma, rooted in religious beliefs, attached to disability and autism in BAME communities. This problem crosses local and national boundaries.

In our film parents talk movingly about their pride and joy in their children:

https://youtu.be/6BH8jmZNG5s

Project summery:

GPV is a voluntary organisation in London, UK giving parents of children with special needs a voice. Influences and attitudes within some BAME faith communities prevent parents and carers living positively with their child's disability. This harms children and families; it leads to denial, isolation and children not getting support at school, under-achieving, mental health problems, dropping out, entering the criminal justice system and families breaking down.

Our aim is to end this stigma.

We are achieving this by bringing parents and carers together to talk, educating people, promoting positive messages about disability and getting this conversation going locally, nationally and internationally.