Desmond Tutu was a giant for justice and his legacy lives on

Afri Coordinator Joe Murray reflects on the passing of his organisation’s patron

Joe Murray, the Coordinator of Afri, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu who was one of the greatest to devote their lives to promoting justice, peace, human rights and care for the planet.

In my work with Afri over more than 40 years, I have been privileged to meet some extraordinary people – people who decided to devote their lives to promoting justice, peace, human rights and care for the planet, often at great personal risk. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was one of the greatest. 

In 1982, as an outspoken critic of apartheid, Afri invited him to speak at an international conference in Dublin’s north inner city. But fearful of the power of his words, the apartheid regime in South Africa refused to allow him to travel.