Desmond Tutu

(nobelprize.org http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1984/tutu-bio.html)

Desmond Tutu is a hero because he is a man who deeply cares about his fellow citizens. He is a champion of peaceful opposition towards those who oppress others. Tutu is very concerned with creating fairness in life for all citizens of South Africa.

Tutu was born in 1931 in Transvaal. After high school Tutu trained as a teacher. He taught for three years until the Bantu education system was put into place because of the Apartheid. The Bantu system separated students based on race. This caused him to leave the teaching profession. He began to study religion and ministry and in 1961 was ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church. He continued his education in England and was bishop in several areas of South Africa before 1978 when he became the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. In 1986, Tutu was elected as Archbishop of Cape Town. A position he held until 1996.

(Architects of Peace Gallery)

In 1984 Desmond Tutu received an amazing honor when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. The Nobel Prize for Peace was given to Tutu because of his unfailing, non-violent protests against Apartheid and for equal rights. In his own words, his goal was to create “a democratic and just society without racial divisions”. His demands were simple, yet they were very different from what was occurring during Apartheid in South Africa. The demands are as stated by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission: equal rights for all, abolition of South Africa’s passport laws (which required all blacks over 16 years of age to carry a passport at all times), common system of education, the cessation of forced deportation from South Africa to the so-called “homelands".

After the time of Apartheid, when forced racial segregation ended, Tutu continued fighting for the rights for all people. He now focuses his energy on improving the lives of those who live in poverty, have continued to be the victims of racial discrimination, and to bring an end to the AIDS epidemic. He remains a moral voice for those in Africa, showing that progress can and will be made when non-violent leaders persist in their desires. Tutu’s crusade did not end with his retirement as the Archbishop of Cape Town. In 1996 Nelson Mandela appointed Tutu to the Truth and Reconciliation Committee which investigated human rights violations during the time of the Apartheid. He has also taught at several United States colleges and currently lives in Milnerton, Cape Town, South Africa.

Desmond Tutu can be a hero because he teaches that progress can be made without violence. His continual fight for improvement of life for all in Africa is something to celebrate. He is a hero to me because he showed perseverance in improving lives. When his original goal of ending Apartheid was reached, he found a new cause, a new goal for improving the lives of those around him. Using Tutu’s example, I am inspired to create life-long goals that will increase the quality of life for those around me. I am also inspired to continue to create new goals when my initial goal is met.