Signatories

Desmond Mpilo Tutu is an Anglican priest who became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches in 1979. As General Secretary, he spoke strongly against apartheid, leading to strong counter reaction by the South African government. A month after winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, Tutu was elected the first black Anglican bishop of Johannesburg, and in 1986 he was elected Archbishop of Cape Town, the highest position in the Anglican Church in South Africa.
 
In 1994, after the end of Apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela, Tutu was appointed Chairman of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate apartheid-era crimes. His stance of forgiveness and reconciliation has become a celebrated international example of conflict resolution.

He is a member of The Elders, a collection of world leaders working to address difficult global challenges.