Desmond Tutu, former Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, spent two days in La Jolla last week, concluding with Scripps Seaside Forum appearance, in which he and a panel spoke to an audience on Feb. 23. Tutu was a guest speaker for a conference titled “Human Genomics: The next 10 years,” presented by the J. Craig Venter Institute and journal Nature. Known worldwide for his activism in human rights, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his efforts in helping defeat apartheid rule in South Africa. Tutu was attending the conference in La Jolla about the progress and future of human genomics since 2001 because he was the first African to have his genome sequenced when he donated some of his cells to help research. Tutu said he went against his advisors’ advice by agreeing to donate his cells but he felt he had to in order to help scientist discover cures for deadly diseases. “This was the only time I went against their advice and it was for various reasons,” Tutu said. Moderator Craig Venter asked Tutu what he thought about the fact that all humans have so many similarities in their genetic makeup, while small physical differences play such a big role in the world. “Our differences are not so that we should be divided, separated off. Our differences are in order for us to know our need of one another,” Tutu responded. “We have a saying in our part of the world: ‘A person is a person through other persons.’ You can never be human in isolation. You need others to help you to become human. Our differences are in order for us to know that none of us can ever be self-sufficient.” Tutu also had a warning for powerful and rich countries: Beware of inaction when it comes to fixing the inequalities that plague so much of the world. “If you think the way you retain your obscene opulence while people live on less than a dollar a day and you think you’re going to have stability, think again,” he said. “If you think you will be able to quarantine yourself, have another think. Something is happening to our world. Please, please, please, there is no time. We can’t have children die and the things that can stop them from dying are available. A nation is a nation through other nations.” After the conference, Tutu shook hands and took photos with eager members of the audience. Tutu, who is 79 and officially retired, has said he will discontinue public speaking outside South Africa once he completes prescheduled commitments through May.
