The 26 December passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu prompted remembrances by many around the world of a humble man who became the moral conscience of his nation and an advocate for truth, justice and reconciliation worldwide. Recently, UWC Robert Bosch College Rektor Laurence Nodder, through the UWC Heads group, shared the words of Archbishop Tutu upon the opening of that institution in 2014 and we wanted to share this with you.
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Several of you will have heard that Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, died this morning. We mourn the passing of a giant, we celebrate his resolute standing for peace, justice and sustainable future.
What several of you may not know is that Archbishop Desmond Tutu had close ties with UWC Waterford Kamhlaba, and through WK with the wider UWC Movement. Even though he was growing frail, the great man wrote these words at the founding of RBC United World College in 2014:
“I believe firmly in the importance of a good education. My father was a teacher, my mother a cook and cleaner at a school for the blind. My wife Leah and I both trained as teachers and then taught in South Africa in the 1950s. When we see the face of a child, we think of the future. We think of their dreams about what they might become, and what they might accomplish. To help a child realize his or her potential is one of the great privileges of life.
The infamous “Bantu Education Act” – whose fundamental premise was to train South African black students into an attitude and positions of inferiority – was passed by the Apartheid Government in 1953 and implemented two years later. Despite the tragedy of so many black children not having any access to schooling of any kind and not being able to reach their fullest potential, we believed the Bantu Education Act was an even greater tragedy. Leah and I felt we had no choice but to quit in protest. We believe in the importance of a good education, not ‘education for servitude’.
Today (2014), there still are 72 million children in the world who have had at least part of their futures stolen from them. That’s because they’ve been denied a basic education. Universal education is a moral imperative. Inclusive, good quality education is a foundation for dynamic and equitable societies.
The symbolic and practical role that the United World Colleges (UWC) can play is important. UWC creates awareness amongst its students and within society. UWC provides access to some outstanding young people, many of whom would not otherwise be able to obtain a good-quality education. UWC creates a context where a sense of purpose can develop. My own children had the privilege of attending Waterford Kamhlaba in Swaziland, the sister school to the new UWC Robert Bosch College. My children found a school where all were welcome, black, white, rich, poor, a school where there were no outsiders. They found a school that lived the idea that we all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family. They found a place where, as part of the curriculum, students went beyond the school to work in the community. They found a school where the concept of leadership was not to lord it over people but rather to expend oneself for people. The founder of Waterford Kamhlaba, Michael Stern, led by example not by decree. Every student who develops these attitudes of service and servant leadership in addition to strong academic skills is a gift to the world. This is even more so when these students come from poor and oppressed communities and remain committed to making a difference.
The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and UWC share a common commitment: to creating a society that nurtures tolerance and understanding amongst all people. This remains a tremendously important task in countries like South Africa and Germany. However, this is not the same as a passive neutrality. As I have said before, if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.
I am pleased that UWC Robert Bosch College will have a focus on sustainability, including environmental sustainability. UWC Robert Bosch College has a responsibility to nurture young people also with an environmental conscience. Importantly, their conscience will be better informed because it will be shaped by the perspectives of people from the widest range of countries and backgrounds.
Twenty-five years ago, people could be excused for not knowing much, or doing much, about climate change. Today we have no excuse. No more can it be dismissed as science fiction; we are already feeling the effects. The horse of climate change may not have bolted, but it’s well on its way through the stable door. Who can stop it? Well, we can, you and I. And it is not just that we can stop it, we have a responsibility to do so. It is a responsibility that begins with God commanding the first human inhabitants of the garden of Eden “to till it and keep it“. To keep it; not to abuse it, not to destroy it.
There are many ways that all of us can fight against climate change: by not wasting energy, for instance. But these individual measures will not make a big enough difference in the available time. We need to take collective action in many different forms including through “passive resistance” against bad policy and the worst carbon emitters. We must support the best minds to focus positively on climate change, minds with a global perspective, minds with a conscience and a willingness to act. For we need to act, and with all the urgency this dire situation demands.
At a time when this was most needed, students at Waterford Kamhlaba demonstrated the simple truth that people of all colours and creeds can learn and live together as equals. Today I pray that the students of UWC Robert Bosch College will be a living example that people of all nationalities, creeds and backgrounds can unite and act for a sustainable future.”