SANTA BARBARA, May 14, 2011   -- Archbishop Desmond Tutu, winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, came to Santa Barbara on Saturday to support the work of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, where he has served on the Advisory Council since 1990. That year, he was awarded the Foundation’s Distinguished Peace Leadership Award for his outstanding work in South Africa and around the world.

Archbishop Tutu was a leading voice in the movement against Apartheid in South Africa and headed that country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the 1990s. He has subsequently campaigned for many other important issues including peace, the elimination of AIDS, and poverty alleviation.

Archbishop Tutu, 79, has entered a period of phased retirement from public life outside of South Africa. It is widely thought that this will be his last public trip to the United States.

Speaking about the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Archbishop Tutu said, “The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has a vision for a better world. I endorse their work and encourage those who are complacent to make a lifelong commitment and to join the winning side.”

David Krieger, co-founder and President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation since its inception in 1982, said, “Archbishop Desmond Tutu is one of the great peace leaders of our time. He has lived his life with compassion, commitment and courage. He has pioneered new paths to peace through forgiveness. We are honored to have Archbishop Tutu with us. His life and message are an inspiration to work tirelessly for a just and peaceful world.”