NPWJ mourns the passing of Desmond Mpilo Tutu and celebrates his contribution to the cause of justice and human rights

No Peace Without Justice mourns with great sadness the passing of Desmond Mpilo Tutu, champion of justice whose motto inspires much of our work: If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends, and to his many colleagues and friends around the world.

Through his conscientious vision and tireless determination in the fight for the affirmation of human rights as universal values, Desmond Tutu will be remembered as a revered and invaluable leader during the struggle to end apartheid in his native South Africa. After apartheid ended in the early ’90s and the long-imprisoned Nelson Mandela became president of the country, Tutu was named chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As a true model for peace, non-violence and reconciliation, Archbishop Desmond Tutu used his powerful moral voice to advocate, locally and globally, against segregation and injustice in all its forms, embodying the aspirations for human societies based on the respect for dignity and freedoms for all.

The entire human rights international community has lost a true friend and advocate and a great source of inspiration. We urge all who knew him and whose lives she touched to carry on his legacy. NPWJ will certainly do so.