19 December 2005 The four Nobel Peace Prize Laureate sculptures: by Claudette Schreuders 19 December 2005 NOBEL SQUARE FACT SHEET 19 December 2005 Peace and Democracy: a sculpture by Noria Mabasa 19 December 2005 The Process Followed in Appointing the Nobel Square Artists 19 December 2005 Wording of the Nobel Square plaque

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Albert Luthuli

“The task is not finished. South Africa is not yet a home for all her sons and daughters. Such a home we wish to ensure…There remains before us the building of a new land, a home for men who are black, white, brown, from the ruins of the old narrow groups, a synthesis of the rich cultural strains which we have inherited.” Excerpt from "Let My People Go" by Albert Luthuli, MacGraw-Hill, New York, 1962

Born in 1898, Albert John Luthuli's sincerity, loyalty and commitment to African freedom and development earned him the respect of people of goodwill throughout the world. But at home, the authorities hated and feared him. In 1952, he was banned by the government. The ban – which also prohibited him from publishing any written material – was renewed in 1954 and again in 1959. In December 1961, the ban was temporarily lifted so that Luthuli and his wife, Mrs Nokukhanya Luthuli, could attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Luthuli continued with his political work until shortly before he died on 21 July 1967 in circumstances that were never satisfactorily explained.

“Albert John Luthuli… fought to implant the idea of justice in the individual, in the nation, and among the nations… Nothing has shaken him from this firm resolve, so firmly rooted is his conviction that violence and terror must not be employed. Albert John Luthuli's fight has been waged within the borders of his own country; but the issues raised go far beyond them. He brings a message to all who work and strive to establish respect for human rights both within nations and between nations.” Excerpts from the presentation speech by Gunnar Jahn, Chairperson of the Nobel Committee, 10 December 1961

Luthuli was vocal in his strong belief that all South Africans should be afforded access to equal education. His political approach was based on his Christian values and Biblical principles.

Desmond Tutu

“There is no peace in Southern Africa. There is no peace because there is no justice. There can be no real peace and security until there is first justice enjoyed by all the inhabitants of this beautiful land.” Nobel lecture, 11 December 1984

Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born in Klerksdorp in 1931 and is the son of a schoolteacher and a domestic worker. The year 1958 was to prove a watershed year for Tutu when he decided to leave his teaching career and enter the ministry. He attended St Peter's Theological College in Rosettenville where he received his Licentiate in Theology.

In 1975, when South Africa was on the brink of major political upheaval, Tutu was appointed to the post of General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) and under his leadership and guidance, the SACC became a leading institution in South African spiritual and political life. It gave voice to the ideals and aspirations of millions of South Africans. In 1984, his contribution to the cause of racial justice in South Africa was recognised when he received the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1985 Tutu was elected Bishop of Johannesburg and in 1986 Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town. Now retired as Archbishop, he remains active in the pursuit of social justice and development.

“Desmond Tutu is an exponent of the only form for conflict solving which is worthy of civilised nations. But, although he has never learnt to hate, none has opposed injustice with a more burning anger. Desmond Tutu has shown that to campaign for the cause of peace is not a question of silent acceptance, but rather of arousing consciences and a sense of indignation, strengthening the will and inspiring the human spirit so that it recognises both its own value and its power of victory.” Excerpt from the presentation speech by Egil Aarvik, Chairperson of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, 1984

Archbishop Tutu stands at the forefront of the crusade for justice and reconciliation – not only on behalf of the Anglican Church of South Africa, but on behalf of all the people of South Africa.

"Our goal is a new South Africa: a South Africa which has rid itself of the antagonism of the past; a South Africa free of domination or oppression in whatever form.” F.W. de Klerk, 8 February 1989

Frederik Willem de Klerk was born in Johannesburg on 18 March 1936. He made politics his career in 1972 and in 1978 he was appointed to the Cabinet. During the following 11 years he was responsible for a number of portfolios preparing him for his post as State President. De Klerk served as State President from 1989 until President Nelson Mandela's inauguration on 10 May 1994. During this period, De Klerk played a key role in dismantling apartheid and the process that led to the adoption of South Africa's Interim Constitution in December 1993.

On 2 February 1990 President De Klerk made announcements in Parliament that would drastically change South Africa and accelerate the abolition of apartheid. His decision to release political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, and to lift the ban on the African National Congress, the Pan-African Congress, and the SA Communist Party was met with strong right-wing opposition. But it was this bold approach and his leadership role in the constitutional transformation of South Africa that earned him the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, as co-recipient, with Mandela.

"The policy of reconciliation that Nelson R. Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk represent, provides hope not only for South Africa; it is also a shining example for the world that there are ways out of the vicious circle of violence and bitterness." Excerpts from presentation speech by Francis Sejersted, Chairperson of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, 1993

F W de Klerk's leading role in the democratic transformation of South Africa between 1989 and 1994 helped to establish peace and justice in South Africa and contributed significantly to the creation of our new non-racial democracy.

Nelson Mandela

“Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement! God bless Africa.” Acceptance speech and Nobel Lecture, 1993

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was educated at the University College of Fort Hare and the University of the Witwatersrand, where he qualified in law in 1942. He joined the African National Congress in 1944. As a young man, Mandela involved himself wholeheartedly in leading civil resistance, helping to organize strikes, protest marches, demonstrations and encouraging people to defy discriminatory laws. Mandela and others were sentenced to life imprisonment at the Rivonia trial in 1964. Their prison, Robben Island, became a centre of learning and debate. He twice rejected government offers of freedom, which would have compromised his standing and credibility as a leader.

Mandela, as President of the African National Congress, served as the first democratically elected President of a free South Africa in May 1994. In 1993, Mandela, together with FW de Klerk, received the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in promoting a democratic South Africa. Reconciliation characterises his leadership since his release from 27 years incarceration.

“Mandela and De Klerk have chosen reconciliation rather than the alternative, which would inevitably have been an ever more bitter and bloodier conflict. Another aspect of the policy of reconciliation is compromise and the recognition that one must give in order to be able to take. Political action on this basis reflects the highest political virtue. But in order to attain success, all parties must be willing to sacrifice.“ Excerpts from presentation speech by Francis Sejersted, Chairperson of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, 1993

Despite officially retiring from public life in 1999, Mandela has continued his compassionate, humanitarian work, taking his tireless fight for justice, peace and human understanding beyond the borders of South Africa.