Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Desmond Tutu, a Nobel peace prize winner and leading campaigner against apartheid is visiting Wales to meet people who are trying to end poverty in Africa. The Welsh society has been very active in eradicating poverty over the last 12 years. NGO’s, schools and churches, all sorts of actors from civil society have set up projects over the past years that help various African communities to lift their living conditions out of poverty. The Wales for Africa programme, which involves Welsh people and community groups in international development, for example was established to help deliver the UN Millennium Development Goals to halve global poverty by 2015.
Desmond Tutu, who was invited by the Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones, hailed the work of the Welsh civil society. “You may have forgotten that once South Africa had something called Apartheid and we got incredible support from you people here in Wales.” Archbishop Tutu said, addressing the guests in the city hall of Cardiff. “I know I speak on behalf of millions and millions of my fellow South Africans in saying a very big thank you to yourselves for having accomplished this great thing of helping us to be free.” he continued.
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