Desmond Tutu

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.

God is not a Christian.

I wish I could shut up, but I can't, and I won't.

We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders. All are insiders.

Don't raise your voice, improve your argument.

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.

My father always used to say, 'Don't raise your voice. Improve your argument.'

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.

Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.

There comes a point where we see the truth and we have to speak it. Even if it's uncomfortable.

Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

Without forgiveness, there is no future.

Ubuntu speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up, inextricably bound up, in yours.

A person is a person through other persons; you can't be human in isolation.

The greatest gift God gave us is not life, but love. And the second greatest gift is the capacity to share that love.

We are not responsible for what breaks us, but we can be responsible for what puts us back together again.

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.

We must be ready to learn from one another, not to be superior to one another.

God has a sense of humor. He has a big laugh. And he's always laughing.

There is no peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness.