Archbishop Desmond Tutu Passes Away

Today a great champion of human rights, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has passed away. His work against the intolerance and violence of Apartheid in South Africa earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. His enormous impact over many decades in South Africa is undeniable, but the importance of what he taught us has reached every corner of the world. We will continue to fight to keep his great legacy alive, and thus help future generations work toward a more just and peaceful world, one in which everyone has the same rights, without any kind of discrimination.

Born in 1931 in Klerksdorf, he earned his degree from the University of South Africa in 1954 and was ordained a priest in 1960. In 1975 he was appointed Dean of St. Mary's Cathedral in Johannesburg, the first Black South African to hold that position. In 1978, he became the first Black general secretary of the South African Council of Churches. Because of his openly anti-apartheid public stance, he was the target of numerous slanders from his enemies, but also of attacks from his friends, the media, and politicians. Nevertheless, thanks to his extraordinary love for his country and his commitment to humanity, to his vision and, fundamentally, to his faith, he persevered in his position. In 1994, after South Africa's first democratic, non-racial elections, which put an end to eighty years of white-minority rule, the new parliament created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, appointing Tutu as its chair, to confront the brutality of the past in a firm and painful manner. His faith in God is exemplified in his belief that the battle for good can be won or lost, but that fighting evil takes more than prayers alone: it requires concrete actions against evil on earth.

From 2007 to 2013, Archbishop Tutu was Chair of The Elders, a group of prominent world leaders who bring their integrity and moral stature to bear on some of the world's most pressing problems. Other members include Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson, and Muhammad Yunus, who, like Archbishop Tutu, is another supporter of our human rights education program, Speak Truth to Power.

One quote of his that so aptly embodies his attitude and work ethic, and that has always resonated especially with us here at RFK Human Rights Spain, is the following:

"We have a God who does not say, 'Aha, got you!' No, God says, 'Get up!' God dusts us off and says, 'Try again.'"