Whereas Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, as Rolihlahla Mandela in the village of Mvezo in the Eastern Cape of South Africa; Whereas Nelson Mandela became a political activist as a young man and engaged in diverse acts of civil disobedience and resistance during the struggle against apartheid, the state-enforced system of racial segregation and systematic oppression maintained by the former white minority government of South Africa; Whereas Nelson Mandela was arrested twice in 1952 for his participation in the Defiance Campaign, which involved the organized contravention of apartheid laws through acts of civil disobedience, and received a suspended sentence of imprisonment with hard labor; Whereas, on August 5, 1962, as a leader of the African National Congress and the African National Congress Youth League, Nelson Mandela was arrested for his activism to end the discriminatory policies of apartheid; Whereas, on June 12, 1964, Nelson Mandela was found guilty of all charges against him and sentenced to life imprisonment; Whereas the global movement to release Nelson Mandela and end the South African system of apartheid— (1) employed international economic sanctions, such as the sanctions under the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 ( Public Law 99–440 ; 100 Stat. 1086); and (2) included the condemnation of apartheid by countless citizens, artists, intellectuals, and activists of the United States; Whereas, on February 11, 1990, under increasing international pressure and domestic campaign efforts, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years, 6 months, and 1 week of continuous incarceration; Whereas, on his release, Nelson Mandela earned international recognition for leading efforts to foster reconciliation, peace, and democracy and for bringing about a negotiated transition ending the apartheid system and establishing universal suffrage and equal rights for all South Africans