DURING a visit to Belfast in 1998, Archbishop Desmond Tutu told an audience that while the journey to lasting peace would not be easy, people should never lose hope.
"I say to people to hold on, to go on, keep going on, because there is, in my view, no doubt at all that ultimately good will prevail. The deep longing of so many cannot be mocked."
The Nobel laureate was offering encouragement at a time when the peace process had led to the historic signing of the Good Friday Agreement but political progress had stalled over the issue of decommissioning.
His inspirational message was borne of his own tireless efforts to end the appalling injustice of apartheid in his native South Africa and few other public figures can be said to have had such a positive influence around the world in recent decades.
Tutu, who has died aged 90, had used his powerful role as the first black Archbishop of Cape Town to expose the abuses of the country's white minority government against the majority population.
He spoke with courage, conviction and compassion and was equally prepared to call out the liberation movement and its failings in a post-apartheid government, qualities which made him a natural choice oversee the hugely difficult work of the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The diminutive cleric with the infectious smile visited these shores several times over the years and had many friends in Ireland.
While travelling to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, he asked during a stopover in London to meet with Irish Dunnes Stores workers who staged a long strike over the sale of South African goods. Their actions eventually led to a ban on imports by the Irish government.
He also became an enthusiastic supporter of the peace process in Northern Ireland. He advocated inclusive political talks and, as society began to emerge from conflict, emphasised the importance of building trust to overcome the legacy of the violent past, a vision sadly still to be realised.
But above all Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be remembered for preaching a message of love, hope and forgiveness along with his unshakeable faith in the essential humanity of people themselves.
It is a message that resonated around the world during his own lifetime and one which is sure to remain an inspiration to people suffering injustice or conflict for generations to come.
