; Whereas, on December 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95; Whereas former President George W. Bush called Nelson Mandela one of the great forces for freedom and equality of our time ; Whereas former President Barack Obama called Nelson Mandela the last great liberator of the 20th century and observed that Mandela taught us the power of action, but he also taught us the power of ideas; the importance of reason and arguments; [and] the need to study not only those who you agree with, but also those who you don't agree with ; Whereas, on July 28, 2014, former President Barack Obama renamed the Young African Leaders Initiative fellowship the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders in honor of Nelson Mandela; Whereas July 18, 2018 marks the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, which provides an opportunity for people around the world to reflect on his life and promote his legacy; Whereas, through the leadership of Nelson Mandela, the notion and spirit of Ubuntu , a South African term referring to the interconnectedness and harmony of humanity, has spread throughout the world; and Whereas Nelson Mandela leaves a legacy that transcends his time and place in history and will guide and inspire future generations: Now, therefore, be it