With laughter as a weapon

In 1984, Bishop Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role as a unifying leader in the non-violent struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Tutu used humor as a tool to humanize both friends and enemies. Tutu was a close collaborator with Nelson Mandela, who spent his first night with the bishop after his release from 27 years of imprisonment in 1990. In 1995, Tutu was appointed by President Mandela to head the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for abuses and crimes committed under apartheid. For a time, Tutu was the leader of a network in support of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, which had its secretariat in Ankerbygget in Stavanger.