DURBAN – Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu passed away in Cape Town on Sunday, aged 90.
While he was known to speak out against social injustices including apartheid and homophobia, issues around children’s rights remained close to Tutu’s heart.
Here are his top nine quotes about children:
Children are a wonderful gift. They have an extraordinary capacity to see into the heart of things, and to expose sham and humbug for what they are.
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.
The world’s forests are a shared stolen treasure that we must put back for our children’s future.
It is our moral obligation to give every child the very best education possible.
Children learn about the nature of the world from their family. They learn about power and about justice, about peace and about compassion within the family. Whether we oppress or liberate our children in our relationships with them will determine whether they grow up to oppress and be oppressed or liberate and be liberated.
We spend billions on banks when we know that a fraction of this money could save all the children in the world.
Dream of a world where children can laugh and play, and not be blown up by a mine they thought was a toy.
If you are invisible, you are vulnerable. Birth registration must be everyone’s priority. Let’s make all children visible and let’s give every child a birthday!
Consider what we sometimes do with our children: we imbue them with this sense, very early on, that they have got to succeed. We are not content that they just do well, they have got to wipe the floor with the opposition.
IOL