A statue we can all approve of

Why put up a statue to Nelson Mandela in Scotland?  As a student in Glasgow in the 1980s I attended and wrote about anti-apartheid demonstrations for the student newspaper Strathclyde Telegraph.  The city of Glasgow has a proud history of supporting progressive change being the first city in the world to grant its freedom to Nelson Mandela in 1981.  This encouraged 2264 cities in 56 countries to follow. I believe it is important we celebrate this history of activism to inspire future generations. On 16 June 1986 the city changed the name of one of its main squares from 'St George's Place' to 'Nelson Mandela Place'.  The date was chosen as the 10th anniversary of the Soweto massacre, a date still celebrated every year in South Africa as Youth Day.  The statue will cost £150,000 and fundraising has now reached £140,000 so whatever you can give will take it one step closer.