Desmond Mpilo Tutu is one of the greatest living icons of our time. The first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, and primate of the Anglican Church of South Africa, he played a crucial role in the fight against the apartheid regime.
In 1984, he received a Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to that cause. And in the years that followed, Tutu became a principal mediator in the transition to democracy in South Africa.
In 1995, former ... view more »
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is one of the greatest living icons of our time. The first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, and primate of the Anglican Church of South Africa, he played a crucial role in the fight against the apartheid regime.
In 1984, he received a Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to that cause. And in the years that followed, Tutu became a principal mediator in the transition to democracy in South Africa.
In 1995, former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela appointed Tutu chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a body set up to probe gross human-rights violations that occurred under apartheid.
In recent years, Tutu has turned his attention to health, humanitarian, and peacemaking initiatives. He is active in the global campaign against HIV/AIDS and continues his peacemaking work in situations of conflict through his leadership in the Elders, a group of Nobel Peace Prize laureates which includes former President Jimmy Carter. Tutu also devotes his time and leadership to family and education issues, particularly quality education for female children in the global South.
Today Archbishop Tutu is regarded as an elder world statesman with a major role to play in reconciliation, and as a leading moral voice.
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