Abject poverty is demeaning, is an assault on the dignity of those that suffer it. In the end it demeans us all. It makes the freedom of all of us less meaningful.

There is nobody more dangerous than one who has been humiliated, even when you humiliate him rightly.

I approach every problem with optimism.

With freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk has not ended yet.

Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.

The histories of our two peoples, Palestinian and South African, correspond in such painful and poignant ways, that I intensely feel myself being at home amongst compatriots

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.