Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Keynote Greenbuild Expo

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) on Jan. 7 announced Archbishop Desmond Tutu as the opening Keynote speaker for USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, which will be held Nov. 17-19 in Boston, MA.

Tutu’s many accomplishments include receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984; the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism; and the Magubela prize for liberty in 1986. He is committed to stopping global AIDS and has served as the honorary chairman for the Global AIDS Alliance. In February 2007 he was awarded Gandhi Peace Prize by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, president of India.

“Bishop Tutu’s life, work and message demonstrate the power of transformational change,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chairman of USGBC. “Bishop Tutu’s 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.”

USGBC’s annual Greenbuild Expo brings the latest building products and systems, and more than 25,000 green building professionals together to share insights and information. Greenbuild’s 2008 programmatic theme is “Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability.” 

Additional speakers will be announced later this year.

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