42 Desmond Tutu Quotes for You to Enjoy

Desmond Tutu

South African Leader

Born: Oct 7, 1931

Africa Because God People South Africa You

Related authors: Buddha Dalai Lama Jesus Christ Julius Caesar Mahatma Gandhi Martin Luther Martin Luther King, Jr. Napoleon Bonaparte

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. Desmond Tutu

History You Injustice Will Neutrality Oppressor Side Say Tail Neutral Foot Mouse Situations Your Chosen Elephant Appreciate

When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land. Desmond Tutu

Religion Bible Eyes Closed Our Had Opened Missionaries Said Came Pray Africa Them Land Us Let Us

If you want peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies. Desmond Tutu

You Peace Enemies Talk Friends Want Your

My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together. Desmond Tutu

Together Humanity Only Bound Up Human Yours

Because forgiveness is like this: a room can be dank because you have closed the windows, you've closed the curtains. But the sun is shining outside, and the air is fresh outside. In order to get that fresh air, you have to get up and open the window and draw the curtains apart. Desmond Tutu

I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights. Desmond Tutu

Rights Compassion Master Sympathy Considers Table Someone Menu Thrown Picking Crumbs Himself Am Up Want Not Interested Interested Full Who

In my country of South Africa, we struggled for years against the evil system of apartheid that divided human beings, children of the same God, by racial classification and then denied many of them fundamental human rights. Desmond Tutu

God Rights Evil Country South Africa Human Rights System Classification Struggled Divided Years Denied South Same Human Africa Children Human Beings Against Apartheid Them Racial Then Many Beings Fundamental

Exclusion is never the way forward on our shared paths to freedom and justice. Desmond Tutu

Freedom Justice Our Way Never Shared Exclusion Paths Forward

Without forgiveness, there's no future. Desmond Tutu

Future Forgiveness No Future Without

People often speak of God being even-handed. God is not even-handed. God is biased, in favor of the weak, of the despised. Desmond Tutu

God People Speak Despised Favor Weak Biased Often Being

Before Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962, he was an angry, relatively young man. He founded the ANC's military wing. When he was released, he surprised everyone because he was talking about reconciliation and forgiveness and not about revenge. Desmond Tutu

Forgiveness Angry Man Revenge Before Young Military Everyone Relatively Released Nelson Nelson Mandela Reconciliation About Wing He Talking Because Arrested Surprised Mandela Young Man Founded

God's love is too great to be confined to any one side of a conflict or to any one religion. Desmond Tutu

Love God Great Religion Love Is Conflict Too Side Any Confined

A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons. Desmond Tutu

Others He Because Person Persons

Inclusive, good-quality education is a foundation for dynamic and equitable societies. Desmond Tutu

Education Inclusive Equitable Dynamic Foundation Societies

Isn't it amazing that we are all made in God's image, and yet there is so much diversity among his people? Desmond Tutu

God People Amazing Made Diversity His Much Among Image

Peace comes when you talk to the guy you most hate. And that's where the courage of a leader comes, because when you sit down with your enemy, you as a leader must already have very considerable confidence from your own constituency. Desmond Tutu

You Confidence Peace Courage Hate Enemy Leader Sit Own Down Considerable Must Guy Most Talk Because Very Where Your

Racism, xenophobia and unfair discrimination have spawned slavery, when human beings have bought and sold and owned and branded fellow human beings as if they were so many beasts of burden. Desmond Tutu

Racism Burden Unfair Sold Beasts Bought Fellow Xenophobia Fellow Human Beings Were Discrimination Branded Owned Human Human Beings Spawned Many Beings Slavery

How could you have a soccer team if all were goalkeepers? How would it be an orchestra if all were French horns? Desmond Tutu

You Would Horns Could French How Were Orchestra Soccer Team

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