How did desmond tutu change the world
- •
Desmond Tutu
Known affectionately as ‘Arch’ by his fellow Elders, Desmond Tutu helped bring the group together in 2007 and served as its much-loved Chair until he stepped down in May 2013. He continued to support the group as an “Elder Emeritus” until his death in 2021.
One of the world’s best known advocates for peace and reconciliation, Archbishop Tutu travelled to Cyprus with the Elders several times to encourage reconciliation between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities; to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to promote a just and secure Middle East peace; to Côte d'Ivoire, where the Elders encouraged national reconciliation following the post-election violence of early 2011; to Sudan and South Sudan to highlight humanitarian needs and the importance of dialogue between political leaders; In 2014, he joined an Elders delegation to Iran, meeting President Rouhani and key Iranian figures to promote peaceful solutions to conflict and sectarian divisions in the region.
A vigorous champion of youth empowerment, Archbishop Tutu took part in several intergene
- •
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu (known fondly as the "Arch”) was born in Klerksdorp on 7 October 1931. His father, Zachariah, who was educated at a Mission school, was the headmaster of a high school in Klerksdorp, a small town in the Western Transvaal (now North West Province). His mother, Aletha Matlhare, was a domestic worker. They had four children, three girls and a boy. This was a period in South African history that predated formal apartheid but was nonetheless defined by racial segregation.
Tutu was eight years old when his father was transferred to a school that catered for African, Indian and Coloured children in Ventersdorp. He also was a pupil at this school, growing up in an environment where there were children from other communities. He was baptised as a Methodist but it was in Ventersdorp that the family followed his sister, Sylvia’s lead into the African Methodical Episcopal Church and finally in 1943 the entire family became Anglicans.
Zachariah Tutu was then transferred to Roodepoort, in the former Western Transvaal. Here the famil
- •
01 Desmond Tutu – Early Life
01. Desmond Mpilo Emeritus Tutu – Early Life
Desmond Mpilo Tutu (1931 – 2021) was born in Klerksdorp, a town in the former South Western Transvaal Province of South Africa (now North West province) to Zachariah and Aletha Tutu. Tutu’ came from inter-ethnic family hence he was fluent to at least three languages which was IsiXhosa, Setswana and Sesotho. He was sickly as a child and his father thought he would not survive infancy; when his condition stabilised, Desmond’s grandmother gave him the name ‘Mpilo’, meaning life. At the time of birth, his father was headmaster of the Methodist Primary School in Klerksdorp and his mother was employed as a domestic worker.
Tutu attended primary school in Roodepoort in Johannesburg, He performed very well in his studies. In 1945 he attended high school in the Western Native Township High School, an area in the west of Johannesburg. In 1950, when he was 19 years old, he passed the joint matriculation board exams and qualified for university entrance. In 1951, he went on to enrol for a teachers’ di
Copyright ©backaid.pages.dev 2025