Triumph Over Torture: Father Michael Lapsley
Triumph Over Torture: Father Michael Lapsley To Give This Year's Michael Hirschfeld Memorial Address
The ex-patriate New Zealand activist priest Michael Lapsley will give this year's Michael Hirschfeld Memorial Address in Wellington on Monday 4th December.
The topic is "Triumph over Torture" and Father Michael, the founding director of the Institute for Healing of Memories has been brought out from his South African home by Amnesty International New Zealand (AINZ) to highlight the recently launched worldwide Campaign to Stamp Out Torture.
"Amnesty International New Zealand is delighted to have a man of Father Michael Lapsley's stature back home to address New Zealanders, particularly as he has done so much to counter apartheid in South Africa and to offer hope and healing to torture victims. It is the sharing of those insights we look forward to hearing," says AINZ Chair, Susie Blowers.
"His own story is a triumph over torture and his journey of sacrifice and suffering has given Father Michael a wisdom that has helped not only South Africa but the world in choosing hope instead of hatred," adds Blowers.
Father Lapsley's story is extraordinary (see attached biography). While he had long been a thorn in the side of South Africa's apartheid government, he came to international attention when in April 1990 he was sent a letter bomb by the South African government. In the explosion his eardrums were shattered and he lost both his hands and an eye. He spent one month in hospital in Harare and six months in two Australian hospitals.
Rather than weaken Father Lapsley's resolve, once his wounds were healed he undertook an extensive speaking tour of the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Canada and The United States reflecting on his own bombing, survival and the situation in South Africa. Father Michael's voice has continued to be heard ever since.
The Michael Hirschfeld Memorial Address was instigated as an annual event to honour the memory of Michael Hirschfeld, the first Chair of the Freedom Foundation of Amnesty International
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The
Michael Hirschfeld Address is at the James Cook Centra
Hotel, Wellington
12 noon-2.30pm Monday 4 December
2000.
Father Lapsley will also visit Auckland from December 8-10
More information or media interviews with Father Michael Lapsley can be arranged by phoning Margaret Taylor on 09 445 9871 or emailing her at margie.taylor@xtra.co.nz.
Michael Lapsley - a biography
1998 Became the first Director of the Institute
for Healing of Memories. Played a major role in developing a
model which assists faith communities in the process of
healing the psychological, emotional and spiritual wounds of
the apartheid years.
1997 Awarded a Friendship Medal by
the Council of State of Cuba.
1996 Michael Lapsley's
biography "Priest and Partisan" by Michael Worsnip published
with a foreword by Nelson Mandela.
1993-98 Appointed
chaplain to Cape Town's Trauma Centre for Victims of
Violence and Torture. Chair and founding member of the Adult
Education and Skills Training Programme of the Cape Town
Refugee Forum.
1992 Chaplain of the Anglican Student
Federation of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa,
a post Michael had previously held in 1976.
Returned to
South Africa and became Director of the ecumenical Theology
Exchange Programme.
1991 Awarded the Queens Service Medal
(QSM) by the New Zealand Government for service to the
community in the countries of Southern Africa.
1990
Undertook an extensive speaking tour of the United Kingdom,
Norway, Sweden, Canada and the United States reflecting on
his own bombing, survival and the situation in South
Africa.
1990 Michael was sent a letter bomb by the South
African government one week after returning from a visit to
Canada and Cuba. In the explosion his eardrums were
shattered and he lost both his hands and an eye. He spent
one month in hospital in Harare and six months in two
Australian hospitals. The New Zealand Government by a
unanimous Cabinet decision paid the Australian hospital
bill.
1987-90 Michael worked as a theological consultant
and co-ordinated an ecumenical program of popular education
about apartheid and destabilisation, under the auspices of
the Lutheran World Federation.
1985-86 Was a parish
priest in a very large African township parish.
1983-92
Michael lived in Zimbabwe, initially reading for a Masters
in Religious Studies from the University of Zimbabwe. His
master's thesis was published as Neutrality or Co-option?
-Anglican Church and State from 1964 until the Independence
of Zimbabwe.
1982 In December, while Michael was away
from Lesotho, the South African Army massacred 42 Lesotho
citizens and South African refugees. The Church authorities
believed Michael to be a target and forced him to leave the
country "for his own safety and that of others". Spent nine
months of the year living at an SSM Priory in Manchester in
the United Kingdom. Spoke all over the United Kingdom, in
Sweden, Holland, Canada and the United States in support of
the ANC and against apartheid.
1976-83 Michael lived in
Lesotho, where he completed his BA at the National
University of Lesotho, and also attained a Post-Graduate
Certificate of Education with distinction. As well as
studying, he was also Chaplain to the University and for
three years was also responsible for training priests for
the Diocese of Lesotho. During this time, Michael joined the
African National Congress of South Africa (ANC) which was
conducting an underground guerrilla struggle against
Apartheid. For many years Michael also functioned as a
chaplain of the ANC.
1976 When Michael was in his third
year of undergraduate studies at the University of Natal,
Durban, his student permit was withdrawn. He was expelled
from South Africa and lived outside the country's borders
until 1992.
1971-73 Michael worked as an assistant curate
in the Parish of All Saints, Ainslie in Canberra. In June
1973 he was ordained as a priest and in September of that
year, the SSM transferred him to Durban in South Africa. As
well as pursuing full-time university studies at the
University of Natal, Michael assisted and subsequently
became chaplain to two black and one white university
campuses in Durban. At the time of the SOWETO uprising in
1976, he was elected National Chaplain of Anglican
Students.
1971 Michael became a professed member of the
SSM and was also made Deacon in the same year. He was
awarded a Licentiate in Theology
1967 Went to Adelaide in
Australia to begin his training as an Anglican Priest. At
the same time he was a novice of an Anglican Religious
Community called the Society of the Sacred Mission
(S.S.M.)
Michael Lapsley was born on June 2, 1949 in
Hastings and attended the following schools: Mahora Primary
School, Heretaunga Intermediate and Hastings Boys High and
gained University Entrance.