A man of peace and many gifts

DESMOND Tutu dedicated his life to ending apartheid. Some called him Martin Luther King.

The son of a teacher and a domestic worker, Tutu was an Anglican priest who rose to become general secretary of the South African Council of Churches and the first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town.

He had been one of the anti-apartheid movement’s most visible and effective leaders.

During his many travels, speeches and sermons, he raised the world’s consciousness about apartheid and convinced the world to help end it.

He advocated non-violent change when others resorted to violence. He sought to build bridges and promote dialogue between black and white when others sought confrontation.

In recognition of his efforts to end apartheid non-violently, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, one of the world’s highest honours. His words had stirred a nation and the world.

Tutu remained faithful to his core beliefs throughout his public life. Foremost among his values was Christian compassion.

He believed that Christianity obligated him to defend the poor and the oppressed, wherever they might be.

He constantly addressed the hopes and dreams of the downtrodden. Racial equality was another of Tutu's core principles.

He urged South Africans of all races to protest injustice vigorously, but non-violently.

Although Tutu always advocated non-violence, he was neither cautious when it came to protesting apartheid. Despite black anger over racial injustice, Tutu refused to hate oppressors.

Once apartheid finally crumbled, Tutu could have retired. Instead he continued to serve his country by agreeing to head South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

This commission probed past human abuses under apartheid. This commission offered forgiveness for past violations.

History will remember Tutu as a man of peace and as having many gifts.