“Forgiving is not forgetting; its actually
remembering--remembering and not using your right to hit back. Its a
second chance for a new beginning. And the remembering part is
particularly important.”
“Life is more than breath and a heartbeat; meaning and purpose are the life of life."
(p.75 Made For Goodness: And Why that Makes All the Difference)
(p.75 Made For Goodness: And Why that Makes All the Difference)
“We must be ready to learn from one another, not claiming that we alone possess all truth and that somehow we have a corner on God.”
“A life of wholeness does not depend on what we experience. Wholeness depends on how we experience our lives.”
“To forgive is not just to be altruistic.”
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen
the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a
mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate
your neutrality.”
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits
of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
“Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are
different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.”
"A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons.
"Children are a wonderful gift. They have an extraordinary
capacity to see into the heart of things and to expose sham
and humbug for what they are.
"Do your little bit of good where you are; its those
little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
"I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights."
"There are different kinds of justice. Retributive justice is largely Western. The African understanding is far more restorative - not so much to punish as to redress or restore a balance that has been knocked askew."
"Resentment and anger are bad for your blood pressure and your digestion."
"Without forgiveness there can be no future for a relationship between individuals or within and between nations."
"South Africa, so utterly improbably, is a beacon of hope in a dark and troubled world."
“My father always used to say, "Don't raise your voice. Improve your argument." Good sense does not always lie with the loudest shouters, nor can we say that a large, unruly crowd is always the best arbiter of what is right.”
“Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.”
“When we see others as the enemy, we risk becoming what we hate. When we oppress others, we end up oppressing ourselves. All of our humanity is dependent upon recognizing the humanity in others.”
“We learn from history that we don't learn from history!”
“Don't raise your voice, improve your argument.”
“Language is very powerful. Language does not just describe reality. Language creates the reality it describes.”
“Though wrong gratifies in the moment, good yields its gifts over a lifetime.”
“A person is a person through other persons; you can't be human in isolation; you are human only in relationships.”
“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring.”
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Made for Goodness
by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
Over the years, Desmond Tutu is asked the same questions again and again: "How can you be so hopeful after witnessing so much evil?" "Why are you so sure goodness will triumph in the end?" This book is his answer.
God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time
by Desmond Tutu
by Desmond Tutu
In his most soul-searching book, Desmond Tutu shares the spiritual guidance and message he received during the troubled times as he strived to promote human justice in South Africa.
Hope and Suffering
by Desmond Tutu
by Desmond Tutu
Bishop Desmond Tutu conveys his view of South African apartheid through his personal experiences.
The Rainbow People of God
by Desmond Tutu
by Desmond Tutu
South Africa's glorious victory over Apartheid is traced in the writings and speeches of one its central figures, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This narrative not only gives a significant historical background, but also shows Desmond Tutu’s unique sense of spirit.
Desmond Tutu: A Biography
by Steven D. Gish
by Steven D. Gish
This book gives a clear explanation of Apartheid, and how it affected the Nobel Peace Prize recipient Desmond Tutu, and how he helped bring it down. It is a story that will affect and inform the audience as no history alone can.
The Words of Desmond Tutu
by Naomi Tutu
by Naomi Tutu
This book consists of a collection of over 100 selections from Tutu’s speeches, sermons, and writings explicitly chosen and introduced by his daughter Naomi Tutu. These explore topics such as faith and social responsibility, the Third World, and the Church’s role in resisting oppression.
Web Pages
http://www.tutu.org/bio-desmond-tutu.php
The official website for the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.
The official website for the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.
http://www.tutufoundation-usa.org/about_desmond_tutu.html
Desmond Tutu's biography on his Peace Foundation site for America.
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1984/tutu-bio.html
Desmond Tutu's page on the Nobel Prize site.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/
desmond_m_tutu/index.html
Articles about Desmond Tutu on The New Yorks Times' website.
http://www.biography.com/people/desmond-tutu-9512516
Another quick biography website.
http://theelders.org/desmond-tutu
A collection of articles and news about Desmond Tutu on The Elders website (independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights).
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/5943.Desmond_Tutu
More of Desmond Tutu's famous quotes.
Sermons/ Videos
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0236447/
The movie A Long Night's Journey Into Day, a documentary on Apartheid in South Africa and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The movie A Long Night's Journey Into Day, a documentary on Apartheid in South Africa and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Desmond Tutu's commencement address to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Kenan Stadium, on May 10, 2009.
Desmond Tutu on abc news.
Desmond Tutu on Ubuntu, an African philosophy focusing on people's relationships with each other.
Tutu addresses delegates at the One Young World Opening Ceremony in Old Billingsgate, London
Other Interviews
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07fob-q4-t.html
An interview of Desmond Tutu conducted by Deborah Solomon, New York Times
An interview of Desmond Tutu conducted by Deborah Solomon, New York Times
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/rev-mpho-tutu-says-working-with-her-famous-father-desmond-tutu-was-easy/1134561
The transcript of an interview with Desmond Tutu's daughter, Rev. Mpho Tutu.
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2010-04-06/being-good-when-things-go-bad
A talk with Rev. Mpho Tutu on morality and religion.
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the Alliance of Civilizations
Rev. Desmond Tutu discusses leadership
Q & A w/ Rev. Mpho Tutu
We were extremely fortunate to have been able to contact Reverend Mpho Tutu, daughter of Desmond Tutu, and ask her some questions. (For more information about Rev. Mpho Tutu's works, click on the "Children's Works" box on the Works page.)
What made you found the Tutu Institute?
I founded the Institute in answer to a prayer. I had come to the end of my first post-ordination placement at Christ Church in Alexandria and was searching for where to be next. I had interviewed for several positions but there was none that I really felt called to be in. I took a group on pilgrimage to South Africa. I began the journey with a rather cheeky prayer:"God, I'm going on pilgrimage for a couple of weeks, when I come back you'll have to have decided what I'm supposed to do and let me know!" The pilgrimage itself was the answer.
In what ways do prayer and pilgrimage bring peace to the world?
A pilgrim encounters the world in a unique way. A pilgrim comes empty handed ready for every meeting to be a meeting with God. When one travels the earth with that kind of reverence one becomes a peaceful presence.
Why do you think it is important for people to take a time off and go meditate quietly?
Our lives so very easily become frantic and frenetic. Often we miss beauty, not because it is absent but because we are too rushed to notice it. We make poor choices because we do not take time to pause and think. We allow ourselves to be driven. It is possible to live as one, called, invited, lead into life. But it takes the pause granted by quiet and meditation to live that kind of life.
What is the most effect way to solve conflict?
Respectfully. There isn't a formula for resolving conflict. There is a disposition that makes it more likely that conflict will end and that is a disposition of mutual respect.
Should people forgive and forget? Or should they forgive, but remember?
Forgiving is, essentially, remembering. When we forgive we remember who and whose we are. When we forgive we make the one who is forgiven a member of our community or our circle again (we re-member them). When we forgive we don't say what has happened has not happened. We say it has happened but it does not define our relationship.
How do you think your father can continue to stay so joyful and optimistic in the goodness of people even though the world still has so many problems?
You'll have to read our book, Made For Goodness
How do you think the people of South Africa managed to forgive each other despite how hurt they were?
The closest thing we have to a formula for forgiveness is holding our pain in a sacred space. There was a legal process but it was held and surrounded by a prayerful witness that was invisible. I think that we can hand over the blueprint for the TRC and implement every detail of that procedure again and not have the same result unless the prayer that surrounded the process is part of the recipe.
Interesting fact: Tutu is an actor! Seriously! He has starred in multiple movies, tv series, and documentaries, including being the voice for Baba in South Africa’s first 3D animated movie, Jock.
He even has his own imdb:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0878379/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0878379/
Clare Zhou Jacquelyn Ho Linda Qin
Why We Chose Archbishop Tutu
Works Cited