Nominating Archbishop Tutu: AUM professor reflects on South Africa's humanitarian hero

Archbishop Desmond Tutu died on December 26, 2021, at the age of 90.

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, Tutu helped lead the struggle against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s and '80s and chaired South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the 1990s.

Dedicated to non-violence, he promoted the idea of a “rainbow nation” in which people of all colors recognized each other’s humanity. As one of the world’s most admired humanitarians, Tutu spoke out on behalf of oppressed people everywhere and was especially known for his spellbinding oratory and impish sense of humor. In many ways, he was South Africa’s version of Martin Luther King Jr.

In the fall of 2009, Archbishop Tutu was nominated to receive the Templeton Prize, an award honoring those whose “exemplary achievements” in science or spirituality have benefited humanity. I was asked to write a letter of support for Tutu’s nomination and happily agreed.

My letter read as follows:

Dear Ms. Marchand and the Templeton Prize committee:

I am writing to support Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s nomination for the 2010 Templeton Prize.  As a student and professor of South African history, I have followed Archbishop Tutu’s career for the past twenty-five years.  I am also the author of Desmond Tutu: A Biography (Greenwood Press, 2004). 

Desmond Mpilo Tutu is one of the world’s foremost humanitarians.  As general secretary of the South African Council of Churches and later as Archbishop of Cape Town, Tutu played a crucial role in ending apartheid, South Africa’s legalized system of racial discrimination.  He urged black and white South Africans to lay down their arms, recognize each other’s humanity, and forge a common future in which all citizens would be treated equally under the law.  In one of the world’s most polarized societies, he consistently advocated nonviolence and dialogue.  He articulated a vision of a “rainbow nation” in which all South Africans could share the land they loved.  In 1994, Tutu’s vision became a reality when apartheid gave way to a new democracy.

Without the leadership of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, apartheid might still exist.  South Africa could easily have become mired in a deadly stalemate like parts of the Middle East or embroiled in a racially-based civil war.  Instead it became a beacon of hope for the rest of the world.

Following the demise of apartheid, Archbishop Tutu promoted national healing by chairing South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  Instead of offering a general amnesty to apartheid-era officials or holding Nuremberg-style war crimes tribunals, the commission implemented an historic compromise.  It offered conditional amnesty to those who committed human rights violations and encouraged victims to testify about their pain and suffering.  Tutu and his fellow commissioners sought to heal the wounds of the past and enable South Africans to build a new future together after decades of civil strife.  Had someone without Archbishop Tutu’s moral authority been appointed to lead the commission, the whole exercise might have collapsed, and with it, South Africa’s hopes of a peaceful future.

After a distinguished career in public service, Tutu retired as Archbishop in 1996 and submitted the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report a few years later. His work was seemingly accomplished – South Africa was a democracy and the truth commission had completed its mission.  Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997, Tutu could easily have slipped into the shadows and declared his life’s work done.

But Archbishop Tutu has never opted for the easy path.  Since his formal retirement, he has redoubled his efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in the world.  He has been a key player in “the Elders,” a group of respected humanitarians working to improve conditions in some of the world’s trouble-spots.  He has frequently traveled to Northern Ireland to promote national healing and has worked for peace in the Middle East.  He established the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre to encourage nonviolent change and to train young people for future leadership positions.  Besides speaking to audiences all over the world, Archbishop Tutu has published a wide body of work, including An African Prayer Book (1995), No Future Without Forgiveness (1999), and God Has a Dream (2004). 

Several of the Archbishop’s ideas have relevance beyond South Africa.  By articulating the concept of “ubuntu,” an African philosophy of community spirit, Tutu has reminded the world that “a person is a person through other persons” and that humanity is interdependent.  Tutu has repeatedly stressed the intrinsic worth of all persons.  In his words, “God has a dream” that all people will recognize their common humanity, regardless of color, creed, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.  Perhaps Tutu is best known for his advocacy of forgiveness and for urging victims of human rights abuses to embrace “restorative justice” rather than retribution.

Now in his late seventies, Archbishop Tutu’s indomitable spirit is unwavering.  He is still willing to stand up for what he believes is right, even if his positions generate controversy.  He believes the clergy should be open to all, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. He has spoken out against corruption in South Africa and boycotted a peace conference there when the Dalai Lama’s invitation was rescinded by the South African government.  He has criticized the policies of the Israeli government, but defended the right of its citizens to live in peace and security.  Underlying all of his statements is a dedication to peace, justice, and human rights.

To borrow Sir John Templeton’s words, Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a true “entrepreneur of the spirit.”  With his unfailing faith in “God’s dream,” he embodies the best instincts of us all. 

I therefore recommend Archbishop Tutu for the 2010 Templeton Prize with great enthusiasm.

***

The Templeton Prize honors individuals whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it. 

Archbishop Tutu was awarded the Templeton Prize in 2013.

Steven Gish is a Professor of History at Auburn University at Montgomery. He is the author of Desmond Tutu: A Biography.