We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society – a life free from violence and fear.
Nelson MandelaRead
Only free men can negotiate; prisoners cannot enter into contracts. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True negotiation requires freedom, as those without it cannot make authentic agreements.
This quote by Nelson Mandela emphasizes the essence of freedom in the context of negotiation and agreements. It underlines the idea that genuine contracts and negotiations can only occur between individuals who possess autonomy; those who are imprisoned or oppressed cannot truly engage in such processes. Furthermore, Mandela highlights the interconnectedness of individual freedom, asserting that one person's liberty is intrinsically tied to another's, promoting a sense of collective responsibility for the freedom of all.
Themes
FreedomNegotiationContractsIndividualsLiberty
In practice
Example use cases
During a workshop on conflict resolution, this quote can inspire participants to consider the value of freedom in negotiations.
More from Nelson Mandela
All quotes →What freedom am I being offered while the organization of the people remains banned? Only free men can negotiate. A prisoner cannot enter into contracts.
Nelson MandelaRead
The past is a rich resource on which we can draw in order to make decisions for the future, but it does not dictate our choices. We should look back at the past and select what is good, and leave behind what is bad.
Nelson MandelaRead
We signal that good can be achieved amongst human beings who are prepared to trust, prepared to believe in the goodness of people.
Nelson MandelaRead
After one has been in prison, it is the small things that one appreciates: being able to take a walk whenever one wants, going into a shop and buying a newspaper, speaking or choosing to remain silent. The simple act of being able to control one's person.
Nelson MandelaRead
I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.
Nelson MandelaRead
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