Around the world people yesterday celebrated Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday. As part of this global occasion, Imagine Bermuda 2009 organised a writing competition on the theme of "Reflecting on Mandela's Example" for young people resident on the Island aged 25 or younger.

Entries took the form of a short letter or a poem addressing Mr. Mandela's contributions to humanity over the years.

First prize in the competition, donated by Holmes, Williams & Purvey, is a motorcycle and second prize is a cell phone, provided by Cellular One. An anonymous donor awarded all other entrants $100 apiece for their efforts.

Mr. Mandela's life has taken him from a remote village in South Africa, through a series of challenges, not least of which was the 27 years he spent as prisoner number 46664 under the hated apartheid regime, which he had strongly opposed. He was the first democratically elected President of South Africa.

Mr. Mandela is today an elder statesman respected around the globe. He has used the occasion of his 90th birthday to raise funds for his Children's Foundation.

The Bermuda competition was judged by three local writers, Kim Dismont-Robinson, Ron Lightbourne and The Royal Gazette's Roger Crombie.