- By : Mrs. Pratima Pathak
- Date: 08-10-2013
- Views : 1984
- [Arukula, Estonia]
Passengers travelling on the South African leg of a Holland America round-the-world cruise next year will get a unique insight into the struggle to end apartheid in the form of two on-board lectures by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former archbishop of Cape Town.
The archbishop, best known for his outspoken criticism of apartheid and his tireless work for human rights, will address passengers on the Durban and Cape Town leg of Holland America’s Grand World Voyage on ms Amsterdam next year.
Rather than waxing lyrical about the wondrous sights and beaches of South Africa, Archbishop Tutu will focus on his role as the first black African to serve as Archbishop of Cape Town and the long struggle to liberate the country from its exclusively white rulers, a goal that was achieved in the early 1990s. He will also take questions from the floor.
“To have a lecturer of the calibre of Desmond Tutu on the Grand World Voyage is as thrilling for me as I know it will be for our guests,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America Line, following the announcement that Tutu would be a speaker on ms Amsterdam.
Tutu is the latest figure who has influenced and reported on world news who has been asked to speak on board cruise ships. The signings are part of a drive to bring greater depth, perspective and understanding of the countries through or alongside which the ships are travelling.
Other speakers of note on cruise ships have included the former leader of the Polish Solidarity movement, Lech Walesa, and the man who pioneered the policies of glasnost and perestroika that ultimately led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev. Former British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd has also lectured on cruise ships, as have a number of prominent foreign correspondents, including the BBC''s Martin Bell and Kate Adie.
After retiring from his position as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1996, Tutu, who today (October 7) celebrates his 82nd birthday, worked in the field of human rights, establishing with his wife, Leah, the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.
In 2007, Tutu joined The Elders, a group of seasoned world leaders including Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter and others, who meet to discuss ways to promote human rights and world peace.
