CAPE TOWN – The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation (DLTLF) has launched an inspiring global initiative called Letters for Peace, inviting people of all backgrounds to creatively express their vision and hopes for peace ahead of the 15th Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture.
The campaign, launched on 5 November this year, serves as a prelude to the 15th Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture, which will be held on 20 November at the Cape Town International Convention Centre under the theme: “Faith, Conflict, and Our Shared Humanity in a Fractured World.”
Distinguished keynote speaker
This year’s lecture will be delivered by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, renowned author, former UN Under-Secretary-General, and Indian Member of Parliament, who will discuss the role of faith, morality, and leadership in fostering peace.
Peace through participation
The Letters for Peace initiative is inspired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s belief that “peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice, love, and action.” It encourages people worldwide to share what peace means to them through diverse mediums, including written work, spoken word, visual art, and digital content.
Contributions will become part of a unique Peace Wall, a living digital mosaic to be unveiled at the Peace Lecture, amplifying collective voices advocating for justice, empathy, and unity.
Janet Jobson, CEO of the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, emphasised the initiative’s civic importance: “Archbishop Tutu taught us that peace requires participation… Letters for Peace is a chance for everyone, from artists, changemakers, content creators, to students and parents, to speak from the heart and show what justice, compassion, and courage look like in their everyday lives.”
She also noted that Letters for Peace is more than a social media campaign but rather a moral act of conscience aimed at bridging differences via communication and shared humanity, especially amidst global division and conflict.
How to get involved
Participants can create their own “Letter for Peace” using any format – text, visual artwork, video, or digital post – and submit it through the foundation’s website at https://tutu.org.za/lettersofpeace or via social media under the hashtag #LettersForPeace.
Prompts for beginning submissions include:
- “Dear World, peace to me means…” • “If Archbishop Tutu were here today, I’d tell him…”
- “Peace begins when…”
- “My Letter of Peace is for…”
All contributions collectively serve as a call for empathy, honesty, and hope, central to Archbishop Tutu’s teachings.
Reserve your complimentary seat for the 2025 Peace Lecture at https://qkt.io/DTPeaceLecture.
How to participate:
1. Create a “Letter for Peace” in any medium (written, spoken, visual, or digital)
2. Submit your work via the official website or by tagging @TheTutuLegacy on social media with #LettersForPeace
3. Reserve your complimentary seat for the 2025 Peace Lecture
The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation aims to preserve and advance the legacy of Archbishop Desmond and Mama Leah Tutu through programmes that champion moral leadership, peacebuilding, human dignity, justice, and reconciliation.
For further details, visit www.tutu.org.za or follow @TheTutuLegacy on social media.
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