H. Res. 34 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 5, 2007. 

Whereas Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu has been recognized as one of the 20th century’s leaders for freedom, 

justice, and human rights for all; 

Whereas Archbishop Tutu, as a religious leader and Secretary-General of the South African Council of Churches 

from 1976 until 1978, worked against apartheid in South 

Africa with the agreement of nearly all South African 

churches; 

Whereas Archbishop Tutu consistently advocated reconciliation between all parties involved in apartheid and, 

though he was most firm in denouncing South Africa’s 

white-ruled government, Archbishop Tutu was also harsh 

in his criticism of the violent tactics of some anti-apartheid groups and denounced terrorism; 

Whereas Archbishop Tutu spoke strongly in support of nonviolent change and economic sanctions against South Africa and as a result had his passport revoked by the 

South African Government; 

Whereas Archbishop Tutu led a historical march to a whitesonly beach, where he and supporters were chased off with 

whips; 
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•HRES 34 EH 

Whereas, on October 16, 1984, Archbishop Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his outstanding leadership, courage, heroism, and use of nonviolence in the struggle against apartheid, and the Nobel 

Committee cited his ‘‘role as a unifying leader figure in 

the campaign to resolve the problem of apartheid in 

South Africa’’; 

Whereas a month after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Archbishop Tutu was elected as the first black Anglican 

bishop of Johannesburg; 

Whereas, on September 7, 1986, Archbishop Tutu became 

the first black person to lead the Anglican Church in 

South Africa; 

Whereas, in 1994, after the end of apartheid and the election 

of President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Tutu was appointed as Chairman of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to investigate apartheid-era 

crimes, where his policy of forgiveness and reconciliation 

has become an international example of conflict resolution, and a trusted method of post-conflict reconstruction; 

Whereas, on October 7, 1931, Archbishop Tutu was born in 

Klerksdorp, Transvaal, to a school teacher and an 

uneducated mother and was educated at Johannesburg 

Bantu High School; 

Whereas Archbishop Tutu trained as a high school teacher at 

Pretoria Bantu Normal College and graduated from the 

University of South Africa in 1954, and after teaching 

for three years was ordained as a priest in 1960; 

Whereas Archbishop Tutu studied theology in England in 

1962, received a Masters of Theology from University of 

London in 1966, was appointed as the first black South 
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African to hold the position of Dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg in 1975, and became the first black 

General Secretary of the South African Council of 

Churches in 1978; 

Whereas Archbishop Tutu is an international lecturer and 

philosopher and has received honorary doctorates from 

ten leading universities in the United States, Britain, and 

Germany; 

Whereas Archbishop Tutu has been awarded a number of 

prestigious awards, including the Order for Meritorious 

Award (Gold), the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Award for 

Outstanding Service to the Anglican Communion, the 

Prix d’Athene, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award of Annual Black American Heroes and 

Heroines Day; 

Whereas out of deep concern for the challenges facing all of 

the people of the world, in July 2007 Archbishop Tutu 

helped assemble The Elders, an historic group of world 

leaders seeking to contribute their wisdom, independent 

leadership, and integrity in tackling some of the world’s 

toughest problems; 

Whereas October 7, 2007, will mark the 76th birthday of 

Archbishop Demand Mpilo Tutu; and 

Whereas Archbishop Tutu has fought for a democratic and 

just society without racial divisions, a common system of 

education, a world which promotes the rights and opportunities of the marginalized, disadvantaged, and 

disenfranchised, and continues to pursue an active international ministry of peace: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 34 EH 

(1) honors the accomplishments of Archbishop 

Desmond Mpilo Tutu; 

(2) recognizes and congratulates his consistent efforts to promote dialogue to peacefully resolve conflicts 

between people in Africa and around the world; and 

(3) extols the contributions of Archbishop Tutu to 

South Africa, the United States, and the international 

community. 

Attest: 

Clerk.