Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and activist Archbishop Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu today was hounored by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as a Global Champion in the Battle against Hunger in recognition of his long-time battle against hunger and his advocacy on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Emeritus Desmond Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid.
Archbishop Tutu was the first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa and the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
“I can think of no more worthy individual as a recipient of this honour, than a man who has confronted tyranny and defended the weak and the hungry, armed with nothing but the strength of his faith and the unwavering belief in upholding the rights of the oppressed.” -WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran
WFP presented its Global Champion Against Hunger award to Archbishop Emeritus Tutu of South Africa during a dinner at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The Archbishop Emeritus has been a “staunch advocate” for universal human rights, including the right to food, as well as the rights to clean water, shelter, hygiene, sanitation and health care, the agency noted in a news release.
“There are some problems so big and so entrenched it is easy to believe they will never be solved. Hunger is one of these problems.” – Archbishop Emeritus Tutu
He is the fourth recipient of the Global Champion Against Hunger award, whose past recipients include former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and Peter Bakker, former CEO of global logistics company TNT and WFP Ambassador Against Hunger.
Representatives of governments, non-profit organizations and corporations have attended the dinner at which Archbishop Emeritus Tutu was presented with his award.
The World Economic Forum is an opportunity for WFP to engage with the world’s political, economic and business leaders to discuss their role in supporting efforts to alleviate global hunger.
At the dinner, WFP also launched its commemoration of 50 years as the UN’s frontline agency in the fight against hunger.
