Peace Heroes.

      In my opinion, Nelson Mandela is the most inspirational because he had such a long imprisonment, yet he never gave in.  He was born Rolihlahla Mandela, but was given the name "Nelson" by his school teacher.  He was born July 18th 1918, to Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa and Nosekeni Fanny.  He was the first of his 12 other siblings to attend school.  After his father died, Mandela was moved to a mission school where he completed Junior Certificate in two years instead of the regular three.  Then he moved on to Fort Hare University where he began to study for a Bachelor of Arts.  After his first year he became involved with Students Representative Council, a council against university polices, he was then told to leave.  When there was a talk of an arranged marriage for Nelson, he fled to Johannesburg, where he found employment.  In 1948  when the National Party, which supported racial segregation, won the election, Manela became more active in politics.  He was prominent in the ANC's 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of  the People.  He and close friend Oliver Tambo provided free or low-cost legal counsel for blacks who lacked legal representation.  Mandela was committed to nonviolent resistance, yet was arrested, along with 150 others, on Decemember 5th 1956 and charged with treason.  1961 Mandela became leader of the ANC's armed wing.  He planned sabotage campaigns against military and government targets, made  plans for a possible guerrilla war if the sabotage failed to end apartheid, he also raised funds for MK abroad and  arranged for paramilitary training of the group.    On August 5th Mandela was arrested again, and was imprisoned in the Johannesburg fort.  He was charged of leading workers to strike in 1961, and leaving the country illegally.  He was sentenced to five years in prison.  Two years later a verdict had been reached for his engagements in the African National Congress, the ANC.  He and seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment, with charges like involvement in planning armed action, four charges of sabotage, and a conspiracy to help other countries invade South Africa.  He was imprisoned for twenty seven years.  On February 2 1990, President F.W. de Klerk reversed the the ban on the ANC and other anti-apartheid organizations, therefor clearing him of his convictions.  On April, 27th, 1994, South Africa's first multi-racial elections in which full enfranchisement was granted.  The ANC won with 62% of votes in the election, and as the leader Mandela was inaugurated on May 10 1994, as the countries first black president.  As president from May 1994 to June 1999, Mandela presided over the minority rule and apartheid, and won international respect for national and international reconciliation.  Even after his retirement he still was very active an assisted in health care, elder care, the fight against AIDS , views on the Iraq invasion, and Blood Diamond controversy.  Nelson Mandela is a true peace hero, he fought long and hard for what he believed in and it came true. 
Number one peace hero: Nelson Mandela because of his long journey to freedom.
Number two peace hero: Martin Luther King Junior because he believed in nonviolent protesting and he was very inspirational.
Number three peace hero:  John Lennon because he had such a power to write peaceful songs, and could communicate peace through his music and public appearances.