Page 132 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

tutu, desmond 1909

Stability and peace in our land will not come from the
barrel of a gun, because peace without justice is an
impossibility. • Desmond Tutu (b. 1931)

Moriyasu,T., & Ochir, A. (Eds.). (1999). Provisional report of researches An early influence in Tutu’s life was the Anglican
on historical sites in Mongolia from 1996 to 1998. Kyoto, Japan: The bishop Trevor Huddleston, an early and tireless opponent
Society of Central Eurasian Studies.
Sinor, D. (Ed.). (1990). The Cambridge history of early inner Asia. Cam- of apartheid who inspired Tutu to enter the ministry.
bridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Ordained an Anglican priest in 1961,Tutu then traveled
Tekin, T. (1988). Orhon Yazıtları [The Orkhon Inscriptions]. Ankara,
Turkey: Türk Tarih Kurumu. to London, where he earned bachelor of divinity honors
Yihong, P. (1997). Son of heaven and heavenly Qaghan: Sui-Tang China and master of theology degrees. Returning to South
and its neighbors. Bellingham: Western Washington University Press.
Africa in 1966,Tutu taught theology at black universities
before becoming associate director of the World Council
of Churches, based in London, in 1972. In 1975 he
became the first black African named Dean of St. Mary’s
Tutu, Desmond Cathedral in Johannesburg. He held this position for only

(b. 1931) a year, however, before becoming bishop of Lesotho,
South African cleric where he served until 1978. He then became the first
and opponent of apartheid black African to be installed as general secretary of the
South African Council of Churches (SACC).
esmond Mpilo Tutu, a leading opponent of South In 1976 black students in townships across South
DAfrica’s racist apartheid system, became chair of the Africa, most notably in Soweto near Johannesburg,
South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission erupted in protest against new apartheid laws that
after the fall of the apartheid regime. He has received severely affected the already inferior black educational
numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the system.Tutu’s position as SACC general secretary and his
1984 Nobel Peace Prize. As an Anglican priest, Tutu ability to speak publicly at a time when most black
served the church as a priest, chaplain, curate, theologian, South African leaders were in jail or otherwise silenced
dean, bishop, and archbishop; he has also served as gen- offered him a unique platform from which to criticize the
eral secretary of the South African Council of Churches. apartheid system. He soon became an internationally
Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born in Klerksdorp, Trans- respected figure as he exposed apartheid’s evils.When he
vaal,South Africa.After receiving his high school diploma called for economic sanctions against South Africa, the
in 1950, he earned his teacher’s diploma from Pretoria apartheid government withdrew his passport, but had to
Bantu Normal College in 1953 and his BA from the Uni- restore it again in 1982 under international pressure.
versity of South Africa in 1954. He then taught high Tutu’s peaceful but insistent campaign against racial
school for four years, during which time he met and mar- injustice in South Africa earned him the Nobel Peace
ried his wife Leah,with whom he had three daughters and Prize in 1984. The Nobel Committee’s announcement
a son. As Tutu began his teaching career, everyday life for cited “Tutu’s role as a unifying leader figure in the cam-
the majority black population in South Africa was drasti- paign to resolve the problem of apartheid in South
cally changing for the worse. In 1948 a white minority Africa.The means by which this campaign is conducted
government implemented the comprehensive system of is of vital importance for the whole of the continent of
racial segregation, disenfranchisement, land alienation, Africa and for the cause of peace in the world” (Nobel
and oppression known as apartheid. Under apartheid, Foundation 2004).
white student education was well funded and of a high Tutu left his post as SACC General Secretary in 1985
quality,while blacks were forced to attend inferior schools, and became a leader in the United Democratic Front, a
study restricted curriculums, and had limited access to multiracial mass movement that sought to overturn the
higher education and job opportunities.Tutu quit teaching apartheid system peacefully. The movement realized its
in 1958 to protest this unjust educational system. goal in 1994 when Nelson Mandela (b. 1918), a leader