Page 71 - FOL2023

EDITORIAL TEAM

Whilst there will not be another Desmond Tutu, his
life, leadership abilities, courage, and commitment
to justice, peace and fairness will, and should, in-
spire current and future leaders to continue his
mission and objective of making his country, South
Africa, and the rest of the world, a better place for
current and future generations.
Desmond Tutu certainly did rise like dust as per
Maya Angelou, to become a much loved, admired
and respected figure for his contribution and ef-
forts in South Africa and the international commu-
nity. He did not allow himself, as per Maya Angelou,
to be written down in history, nor allow the many
challenges he faced, including “bitter, twisted lies”
to trod him in dirt and disappear into oblivion.

Like most human beings, he certainly had his own
faults and failures but these are certainly nothing
compared to his acts of courage and love for hu-
manity and his deep commitment to his beliefs
without disregard and disrespect for the beliefs of
others. His friendship with the 14th Dalai Lama and
the respect and admiration across religious, polit-
struggle against apartheid and for freedom, justice
and peace amongst many other awards received ical, class and racial divides are good examples of
in recognition of his contribution to society. He his qualities. Amongst his friends and close asso-
was also appointed, by President Nelson Mandela, ciates are the likes of Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton,
as the Chairperson of the Truth and Reconcilia- Queen Elizabeth, Mary Robinson, Richard Branson,
tion Commission (TRC) in post-apartheid South Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and many other lu-
Africa – a body intended to help in establishing minaries.
a new South African society based on non-rac-
ism, non-sexism and respect for human rights and He shall surely and sorely be missed!
fundamental freedoms. May his good work and courageous commitment
to the well-being of humanity inspire many others,,
today and tomorrow who, like him, will rise above
Desmond Tutu, was certainly not just a great and
respected religious leader, he was also a leading life’s challenges and live a legacy like his.
human rights defender and a visionary to the end
of his days. His support for the rights of sexual mi-
norities and the rights of people to die in dignity
(euthanasia) are good examples in this regard. He
was indeed a fearless champion of good govern-
ance and was never shy, where it mattered and
was necessary, to criticise any leader or govern-
ment in this regard, including the likes of President
Ronald Regan, Mandela’s government and even the
African National Congress (ANC) - the governing
party in post-apartheid South Africa which played
a leading role in the country’s struggle for freedom
against colonialism and the apartheid system.

Issue 2022 FOL Quarterly 73