Monday, April 20, 2009

Dalai Lama drapes Tutu with scarf of honour


Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has received a spiritual leadership award from Humanity's Team and a gift from the Dalai Lama at Freedom Park in Pretoria.

A representative of the Dalai Lama draped a white scarf around Tutu's shoulders.

"Leaders such as Madiba (Nelson Mandela) spent 27 years in prison and humbly reconciled with the enemy. One would expect them to be bitter," said Tutu.

"The Dalai Lama has been in exile for 50 years and one would expect that by now he should have been corroded by bitterness - and he is not."

Nobel Peace laureates Tutu and F W de Klerk pulled out of a peace conference last month after the South African government refused the Dalai Lama, a fellow laureate, a visa. The conference has been postponed indefinitely.

As Tutu walked in to Freedom Park on Saturday evening, he was greeted with an electrifying mix of African opera, pop and rock music.

Singer Joseph Clark stood beside him, while the Gaabo Motho Tenors, Yollandi Nortjie and traditional dance group Amakhono We Sintu performed on stage.

http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4943106

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