A UNO expert on international affairs says Nelson Mandela was “the best kind of an example of a hero in public life.”
The former South African president died last Thursday at age 95. His funeral is Tuesday. Tom Goutierre, Dean of UNO's International Studies and Programs, says Mandela was an example of a leader who brought about change through nonviolent resistance.
"And that type of example, I think, is something that never loses its importance to take note of, and to try to learn and to follow in terms of the way we conduct ourselves not only in international relations or world affairs, but in everything we do in our lives."
Goutierre says that's the opposite of what's happening in nations such as Syria and India. He says leaders of those countries could learn from Mandela's example.
South Africa is in a 10-day mourning period following Mandela's death. He'll be buried next Sunday.