Press Release: Honorary degrees presented at The Desmond Tutu Health Awareness Series

Archbishop Em. Desmond Tutu,  dr. Peter Bittel and dr. Harold Robles received honorary degrees

Springfield, April 21, 2010 – With great pride the American International College (AIC) and the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) have presented The Desmond Tutu Public Health Awareness Series, on Tuesday the 20th of April. The AIC, inspired by the commitment of Archbishop Desmond Tutu to strengthen the human rights and opportunities of all people, has after this inaugural, honorary degrees awarded to the founders of the MKI: dr. Peter Bittel and dr. Harold Robles and to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a member of the Advisory Board of The MKI.

MKI is an organization founded with the aim to solve healthcare problems through education and thus to improve the world; that is also a high priority of the AIC. Therefore these organizations decided to organize together the Desmond Tutu Public Health Awareness Series (http://www.aic.edu/tutu/), an annual series of lectures and discussions devoted to supporting healthcare as a human right to which we are all entitled.

The award of honorary degrees by the AIC expresses their appreciation for the founders and supporters of the MKI. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has received the title Doctor of Humane Letters, dr. Peter Bittel can call himself now Doctor of Education and dr. Harold Robles can put from now on Doctor of Public Health behind his name.

Peter Bittel stated that he has deep respect for Desmond Tutu: “Desmond Tutu’s message and his example, continues to light the darkest sites of our lives and his example will continue to strengthen all those strive to create a world living in peace and brotherhood. What has come out of his life and thought is the kind of inspiration that can animate a generation.”

Desmond Tutu said he is honored to be part of the inaugurate event and speaks praise of the cooperation between the ACI and the MKI: “I am happy that the American International Collage has partnered with Medical Knowledge Institute and will spend time researching and addressing issues of great concern to us.”

Desmond Tutu also shows his appreciation for the MKI: “The Medical Knowledge has made great in-roads in South Africa helping to improve the public health of the people who ordinarily would not afford adequate health care.”

"We experience the full support of the Medical Knowledge Institute by Archbishop Desmond Tutu still as very special", said Guup Baron Kraijenhoff, honorary chairman of the MKI. "His unwavering commitment for a better world and particularly the emphasis on 'health as a human right’ remains inspiring the MKI.”

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Medical Knowledge Institute - ‘Prevention through Education',
136 William Street, Springfield MA 01105. 

About the Medical Knowledge Institute, ‘Prevention through Education'
The Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) is an international non-profit healthcare organization that focuses on education and providing information from the conviction that healthcare is a human right.
Under the motto ‘Prevention through Education' the MKI focuses with full conviction on its objective to improve the living conditions of the population in southern Africa by giving medically related trainings and workshops to local aid workers. In their turn these local heroes pass on that knowledge to other local aid workers and trainers. The Healthcare Educational programs have been developed to improve the quality and the humanitarian values of healthcare through education and public healthcare programs. Medical experts from all around the world are engaged for this. The funds to be able to perform this important work are mainly received through donations. The sale of an exclusive series of jewellery by means of the YOELL^® project initiated by MKI also contributes to MKI's success.
The Medical Knowledge Institute is based in the Netherlands (Oostvoorne), South Africa (Cape Town) and the United States of America (Springfield - MA) and was founded in 1999 by dr. Harold E. Robles, founder and President Emeritus of the Albert Schweitzer Institute for the Humanities, and dr. Peter J. Bittel, Chairman and CEO of The Futures Health Group. More information about the activities, projects, workshops and events of the MKI: www.infomki.org  

Editors’ note:
For editorial information, visual material or interview possibilities:
Dr. Suzanne Marotta, O: 800.218.9280, F: 866.656.6111, smarotta@infomki.org or
Jakob Brons / Press Officer MKI, tel: +31 654 34 3284, jbrons@infomki.org