Lets hope peace doesn’t die along with the beloved former South African president .

Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5 at the age of 95. The well-known pacifist had been suffering with a lung infection; fortunately, he had friends and family gathered around his bedside for his final breath.

Mandela spent 27 years of his life in prison- with no trial. His plight helped focus the world’s attention on the evils of apartheid, the enforced segregation by white South Africans against the majority black population. The wise Mandela once said, “Hating clouds the mind. It gets in the way of strategy. Leaders cannot afford to hate.”

Upon finally getting out of prison in 1990, Mandela’s incredible lack of spite and his determination for democracy saved the country of South Africa. His leadership kept black people from seeking revenge against the whites. (Mandela himself reconciled with the men who unjustly imprisoned him. He became president in 1994.) But that’s not all. He achieved the Nobel peace prize in 1993 and was a committed campaigner in the battle against AIDS, having lost his son to the disease in 2005.

Mandela is considered one of the greatest political leaders of contemporary times. His efforts for peace will inspire our world’s future.

“He is now resting,” said South African President Jacob Zuma. “He is now at peace.”