The Simon Wiesenthal Center joins the world in mourning the passing of anti-apartheid hero and former South African President Nelson Mandela.

“Nelson Mandela was an example of how powerful the voice of a single individual dedicated to the principles of freedom and human dignity can be. Without an army, from a small prison cell, he singlehandedly defeated the forces of apartheid and bigotry and set his country free,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Wiesenthal Center.

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).