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Heroes from all walks of life

In tribute to Nelson Mandela, we hear about heroes from around the world, from ordinary citizens in Baghdad, to anti-apartheid lawyers and an unusually ethical Latvian politician.

In tribute to Nelson Mandela, Pascale Harter introduces stories about heroes from all walks of life, and from around the world. Andrew Harding on a South Africa that's already in its post-Mandela era; Allan Little argues that the nineteenth-century promise in US president Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, of a republic in which all are created equal, took a century to be fulfilled, with legislation passed by Lyndon B Johnson after John F Kennedy's death; Damien McGuinness reports on surprising resignation of the Latvian Prime Minister who took responsibility for the deadly supermarket collapse in Riga, even though it was not his fault; Andrew Hosken admires the bravery of Baghdad's residents who go about their daily lives despite the terror risks; Lyse Doucet finds Syrians try to hang on to their cherished identity despite the turmoil and displacements of war; Nigel Wilson is surprised by wounded Syrian fighters who keep their spirits up with a great sense of humour in Amman in Jordan; Mark Lowen goes to find out more about his late grandfather, George Lowen, a German Jewish lawyer who went from refugee to anti-apartheid activist, defending the victims of the white minority regime in court.

Presenter: Pascale Harter
Producer: Arlene Gregorius
Photo Credit: Getty Images

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25 minutes

Last on

Sun 15 Dec 2013 01:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 14 Dec 2013 12:06GMT
  • Sun 15 Dec 2013 01:06GMT