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Keynote Speaker Named for Greenbuild 2008

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the former general secretary of the South African Council of Churches.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 1/8/2008 12:00:00 AM

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Laureate, will perform the opening address for Greenbuild 2008. The next edition of the annual green building exposition and conference presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will be held November 19-21 in Boston.

Tutu is recognized for his efforts to end poverty and human rights abuses. In his former position as general secretary of the South African Council of Churches, he launched an extensive campaign to achieve social justice and racial conciliation in South Africa.

In addition to the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, Tutu's accolades include the 1986 Magubela prize for liberty and the 2007 Gandhi Peace Prize, bestowed by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, president of India. He has also served as the honorary chairman for the Global AIDS Alliance.

"Bishop Tutu’s life, work, and message demonstrate the power of transformational change," says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO, and founding chairman of the USGBC. [His] role in ending Apartheid in South Africa and bringing reconciliation to its people will inspire us towards the transformation of our buildings to a sustainable future, and will give us an extraordinary example of social justice in action."

More than 25,000 green building professionals are expected to attend Greenbuild 2008, which carries the theme Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability.

The USGBC is a nonprofit organization that certifies sustainable businesses, homes, hospitals, schools, and neighborhoods.

Image courtesy of the Academy of Achievement.