Apartheid Quote by Nelson Mandela
“No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens but its lowest ones.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Prison Reflections, 1990
A nation is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable, not its elite.
In simple terms: How of the poor reveals a nation's character.
Key Takeaway
Treat all citizens with dignity.
Themes
justice
equality
human rights
Mood
thoughtful
determined
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- community outreach
- legal reform
Key Concepts
social contract
moral measure
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies protect the marginalized?
- What indicators show true national health?
A Different Perspective
Changing systemic oppression is difficult.
![“We [ with Brian Mulroney and Rajiv Gandhi] went to the meeting in Canada [the 1987 Vancouver CHOGM] and I said to them there that sanctions weren't working; they were just being busted. And it did seem to me that one way that we could bring the apartheid regime down would be if we did mount an…” quote by Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/66c/bob-hawke-7891_apartheid_we-with-brian-mulroney-and-rajiv-gandhi_109260.jpg)
