Dr Shashi Tharoor to headline 15th Annual Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture

Fifteen Years of Peace in Action, A Global Call for Compassion.

The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation has announced that Dr Shashi Tharoor, celebrated author, parliamentarian, and global thought leader, will deliver the keynote address at the 15th Annual Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture, taking place on 20 November 2025 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

This milestone year marks fifteen years of the Lecture, a flagship event that has evolved from a single moment of reflection into one of Africa’s foremost platforms for peace dialogue and moral leadership.

“The world needs voices of courage, compassion, and moral clarity,” says Janet Jobson, CEO of the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. “As we mark fifteen years of the Peace Lecture, we honour our Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Tutu’s unflinching belief that peace is not passive, it’s justice in motion. Dr Tharoor’s voice, grounded in intellect and empathy, will challenge us to imagine a world led by conscience rather than convenience.”

A theme for our times: Faith, Conflict, and Our Shared Humanity in a Fractured World

The 2025 Lecture comes at a time of deepening global polarisation and genocidal violence, where questions of faith, identity, and belonging often divide rather than unite. The theme, “Faith, Conflict, and Our Shared Humanity in a Fractured World,” calls for a rediscovery of empathy and solidarity across lines of belief, nation, and ideology.

Dr Tharoor’s address will explore the moral imagination required for peace, the role of faith traditions as bridges rather than boundaries, and the urgent need to reclaim a shared global ethic rooted in dignity, justice, and compassion.

“Desmond Tutu believed that faith could be a force for radical inclusion,” adds Jobson. “In a time when division defines so much of public life, this year’s Lecture reminds us that the true measure of faith is not what we believe, but how we live those beliefs, through courage, empathy, and a shared commitment to humanity.”

A legacy of moral courage, renewed for our time

The Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture was first held in 2011 when His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed audiences via livestream after being denied entry into South Africa, a symbolic beginning that underscored the Lecture’s founding principle: peace speaks truth to power.

Since then, the Peace Lecture stage has hosted Kofi Annan, Graca Machel, Mary Robinson, President Cyril Ramaphosa, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, and Melinda Gates, among others, leaders who, like Tutu, embody moral courage and global citizenship.

“This year’s theme resonates deeply with Tutu’s lifelong conviction that ‘we are made for togetherness,’” explains Jobson. “It’s about finding humanity in the midst of conflict, and faith in the face of fracture.”

About Dr Shashi Tharoor

Dr Tharoor is a Member of Parliament (India), former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, acclaimed author of over 20 books, and a global advocate for multilateralism and ethical leadership who brings a voice of deep resonance to this year’s Lecture.

“Dr Shashi Tharoor embodies the kind of moral and intellectual leadership our world urgently needs,” says Jobson. “His reflections on faith, conflict, and shared humanity will connect Africa’s moral leadership tradition with the world’s call for compassion, accountability, and collective action.”

Youth voices at the centre

Underscoring the Foundation’s commitment to nurturing future leaders, this year’s Lecture will also spotlight the winners of the Tutu Legacy Foundation Youth School Debate, hosted in partnership with the Metro East Education District (MEED) earlier this year.

In August, under the theme “Our Community. Our Responsibility,” 130 learners and 30 teachers from across the Western Cape came together to debate the meaning of shared responsibility and Ubuntu. Their insights illuminated the path toward empathy-based leadership, reminding us that “responsibility isn’t a burden; it’s a light we carry together.”

“These young people are already leading with Ubuntu,” adds Jobson. “They remind us that the next generation doesn’t just inherit Tutu’s legacy, they are expanding it.”

Peace in Action: The Letters of Peace Campaign

This year’s Lecture is accompanied by the Letters of Peace campaign, a global invitation for people to share their personal reflections on what peace means to them. Each “letter” written, spoken, or visual contributes to a growing digital wall of peace that will be displayed at the Lecture on 20 November 2025. The campaign honours Archbishop Tutu’s belief that “words can be bridges,” transforming individual acts of expression into a collective call for compassion.

Event details

15th Annual Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture

Date: 20 November 2025

Time: 15:00 SAST

Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)

Complimentary Tickets: Available via Quicket.

“Peace has never been the absence of conflict, it’s the presence of justice, love, and action,” reflects Jobson. “When we pause to listen and speak from the heart, our words become bridges and promises, and peace becomes something we do, one person, one act, one moment at a time.”