Some of the protesters who staged the protest outside Freedom Park in Tshwane on Wednesday.
The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation has withdrawn from the World Movement for Democracy’s Global Assembly event by the US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED), following mounting pressure that its association with the event could be perceived as being complacent to the violation of Palestinians’ rights by Israel – a key US ally.
The Archbishop Desmond Tutu IP Trust, which owns the rights to the Tutu name, sent the foundation a letter demanding that they withdraw from the Global Assembly, saying: “The Foundation participating in a US government funded event advocating for democracy, at a time that the US is supplying arms in support of the genocide in Palestine, and resolutely using its veto to block global consensus against the genocide at the UN, did not accord with Archbishop’s Tutu’s values.”
The World Movement for Democracy event kicked off in Johannesburg on Wednesday with protesters gathered outside the venue in Freedom Park, Tshwane, against it.
The Tutu IP Trust explained that it was established by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “who expressly recorded his wish that (the Trust) be established primarily to act as guardian and custodian of the intellectual property rights and legacy associated with Archbishop Tutu, and to support The Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation NPC to achieve its objectives insofar as they relate to the Tutu IP” .
“Although our client is aware that the Foundation does not support Israel’s war against the Palestinian people; that the Foundation is of the view that its participation in the WMD Assembly will not be perceived as expressing support for this war; and that the Foundation has taken some measures to mitigate this perception, such as its consultations with the Palestinian delegation and its intention to release a joint statement at the conclusion of the conference, our client is of the view that the Foundation’s participation, in an official capacity, at the WMD Assembly will nevertheless be perceived as support for the National Endowment for Democracy (‘NED’), and will therefore be regarded as insensitive to current global geopolitical events, and risk negative impacts to the Archbishop’s reputation, which forms part of the Tutu IP.”
Foundation CEO, Janet Jobson referred the “Cape Times” to a four-page letter in response to the Trust, dated November 18, initially stating that they could not withdraw from the event.
In the letter, Jobson said: “Unfortunately, we cannot agree to withdraw from the Global Assembly. Since mid 2023 we have been participating in a local co-ordinating committee which has provided input on the programme, particularly as it relates to the profiling of South African democracy and civil society during the conference. We have also developed a travelling exhibition on Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which will be set up at the conference venue.
The Global Assembly is bringing together around 500 democracy activists from 100 countries for engagement and sharing practices and insights from around the world.
The group of South African partners who are involved in the Global Assembly, are highly ethical and esteemed colleagues.
“We fully understand the call for protest action against the US for its complicity in the Gaza genocide; and join in this condemnation.
“However, we feel that the target of this action against the Global Assembly, which is a platform in which the vast majority of participants are courageous democracy activists from around the world, is misplaced.”
Jobson later confirmed that they had withdrawn from the Global Assembly event.
The NED did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
Cape Times
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