Leonardo DiCaprio | Speech |

 I stand before you not as an expert but asa concerned citizen – one of the 400,000 people who marched in the streets of New Yorkon Sunday and the billions of others around the world who want to solve our climate crisis. As an actor, I pretend for a living. I play fictitious characters, often solvingfictitious problems. I believe that mankind has looked at climatechange in that same way, as if it were fiction, as if pretending the climate change wasn’treal would somehow make it go away. But I think we all know better than that now. Every week we’re seeing new and undeniableclimate events, evidence that accelerated climate change is here right now. Droughts are intensifying. Our oceans are acidifying with methane plumesrising up from the ocean floor.


We are seeing extreme weather events and theWest Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets melting at unprecedented rates, decades ahead of scientificprojections. None of this is rhetoric and none of it ishysteria. It is fact. The scientific community knows it. Industry knows it. Governments know it. Even the United States military knows it. The Chief of the US Navy’s Pacific CommandAdmiral Samuel Locklear recently said that climate change is our single greatest securitythreat. My friends, this body, perhaps more than anyother gathering in human history now faces this difficult but achievable task. You can make history or you will be vilifiedby it. To be clear this is not about just tellingpeople to change their light bulbs or to buy a hybrid car. This disaster has grown beyond the choicesthat individuals make. This is now about our industries and our governmentsaround the world taking decisive large-scale action. Now must be our moment for action. We need to put a price tag on carbon emissionsand eliminate government subsidies for all oil coal and gas companies. We need to end the free ride that industrialpolluters have been given in the name of a free market economy. They do not deserve our tax dollars. They deserve our scrutiny for the economyitself will die if our ecosystems collapse. The good news is that renewable energy isnot only achievable but good economic policy. This is not a partisan debate. It is a human one. Clean air and a livable climate are inalienablehuman rights. And solving this crisis is not a questionof politics. It is a question of our own survival. This is the most urgent of times and the mosturgent of messages. Honored delegates, leaders of the world, Ipretend for a living but you do not. The people made their voices heard on Sundayaround the world and the momentum will not stop. But now it is your turn. The time to answer humankind’s greatestchallenge is now. We beg of you to face it with courage andhonesty. Thank you. 

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Jim Carrey | Speech |

 Thank you Bevan, thank you all! I brought one of my paintings to show youtoday. Hope you guys are gonna be able see it okay. It’s not one of my bigger pieces. You might wanna move down front — to geta good look at it. (kidding) Faculty, Parents, Friends, Dignitaries… Graduating Class of 2014, and all the deadbaseball players coming out of the corn to be with us today. (laughter) After the harvest there’s noplace to hide — the fields are empty — there is no cover there! (laughter) I am here to plant a seed that will inspireyou to move forward in life with enthusiastic hearts and a clear sense of wholeness.


The question is, will that seed have a chanceto take root, or will I be sued by Monsanto and forced to use their seed, which may notbe totally “Ayurvedic.” (laughter) Excuse me if I seem a little low energy tonight— today — whatever this is. I slept with my head to the North last night. (laughter) Oh man! Oh man! You know how that is, right kids? Woke up right in the middle of Pitta and couldn’tget back to sleep till Vata rolled around, but I didn’t freak out. I used that time to eat a large meal and connectwith someone special on Tinder. (laughter) Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens foryou. How do I know this? I don’t, but I’m making sound, and that’sthe important thing. That’s what I’m here to do. Sometimes, I think that’s one of the onlythings that are important. Just letting each other know we’re here,reminding each other that we are part of a larger self. I used to think Jim Carrey is all that I was… Just a flickering light A dancing shadow The great nothing masquerading as somethingyou can name Dwelling in forts and castles made of witches– wishes! Sorry, a Freudian slip there Seeking shelter in caves and foxholes, dugout hastily An archer searching for his target in themirror Wounded only by my own arrows Begging to be enslaved Pleading for my chains Blinded by longing and tripping over paradise– can I get an “Amen”?! (applause) You didn’t think I could be serious didya’? I don’t think you understand who you’redealing with! I have no limits! I cannot be contained because I’m the container. You can’t contain the container, man! You can’t contain the container! (laughter) I used to believe that who I was ended atthe edge of my skin, that I had been given this little vehicle called a body from whichto experience creation, and though I couldn’t have asked for a sportier model, (laughter)it was after all a loaner and would have to be returned. Then, I learned that everything outside thevehicle was a part of me, too, and now I drive a convertible. Top down wind in my hair! (laughter) I am elated and truly, truly, truly excitedto be present and fully connected to you at this important moment in your journey. I hope you’re ready to open the roof andtake it all in?! (audience doesn’t react) Okay, four moreyears then! (laughter) I want to thank the Trustees, Administratorsand Faculty of MUM for creating an institution worthy of Maharishi’s ideals of education. A place that teaches the knowledge and experiencenecessary to be productive in life, as well as enabling the students, through TranscendentalMeditation and ancient Vedic knowledge to slack off twice a day for an hour and a half!!(laughter) — don’t think you’re fooling me!!! — (applause) but, I guess it has some benefits. It does allow you to separate who you trulyare and what’s real, from the stories that run through your head. You have given them the ability to walk behindthe mind’s elaborate set decoration, and to see that there is a huge difference betweena dog that is going to eat you in your mind and an actual dog that’s going to eat you. (laughter) That may sound like no big deal,but many never learn that distinction and spend a great deal of their lives living infight or flight response. I’d like to acknowledge all you wonderfulparents — way to go for the fantastic job you’ve done — for your tireless dedication,your love, your support, and most of all, for the attention you’ve paid to your children. I have a saying, “Beware the unloved,”because they will eventually hurt themselves… or me! (laughter) But when I look at this group here today,I feel really safe! I do! I’m just going to say it — my room isnot locked! My room is not locked! (laughter) No doubtsome of you will turn out to be crooks! But white-collar stuff — Wall St. ya’know, that type of thing — crimes committed by people with self-esteem! Stuff a parent can still be proud of in aweird way. (laughter) And to the graduating class of 2017 — minus3! You didn’t let me finish! (laughter) — Congratulations!(applause) Yes, give yourselves a round of applause, please. You are the vanguard of knowledge and consciousness;a new wave in a vast ocean of possibilities. On the other side of that door, there is aworld starving for new leadership, new ideas. I’ve been out there for 30 years! She’s a wild cat! (laughter) Oh, she’llrub up against your leg and purr until you pick her up and start pettin’ her, and outof nowhere she’ll swat you in the face. Sure it’s rough sometimes but that’s OK,‘cause they’ve got soft serve ice cream with sprinkles! (laughter) I guess that’swhat I’m really here to say; sometimes it’s okay to eat your feelings! (laughter) Fear is going to be a player in your life,but you get to decide how much. You can spend your whole life imagining ghosts,worrying about your pathway to the future, but all there will ever be is what’s happeninghere, and the decisions we make in this moment, which are based in either love or fear. So many of us choose our path out of feardisguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out ofreach and ridiculous to expect, so we never dare to ask the universe for it. I’m saying, I’m the proof that you canask the universe for it — please! (applause) And if it doesn’t happen for you right away,it’s only because the universe is so busy fulfilling my order. It’s party size! (laughter) My father could have been a great comedian,but he didn’t believe that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant,and when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job and our family had to dowhatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father,not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might aswell take a chance on doing what you love. (applause) That’s not the only thing he taught me though:I watched the affect my father’s love and humor had on the world around me, and I thought,“That’s something to do, that’s something worth my time.” It wasn’t long before I started acting up. People would come over to my house and theywould be greeted by a 7 yr old throwing himself down a large flight of stairs. (laughter) They would say, “What happened?” And I would say, “I don’t know — let’scheck the replay.” And I would go back to the top of the stairsand come back down in slow motion. (Jim reenacts coming down the stairs in slow-mo)It was a very strange household. (laughter) My father used to brag that I wasn’t a ham— I was the whole pig. And he treated my talent as if it was hissecond chance. When I was about 28, after a decade as a professionalcomedian, I realized one night in LA that the purpose of my life had always been tofree people from concern, like my dad. When I realized this, I dubbed my new devotion,“The Church of Freedom From Concern” — “The Church of FFC”— and I dedicated myselfto that ministry. What’s yours? How will you serve the world? What do they need that your talent can provide? That’s all you have to figure out. As someone who has done what you are aboutto go do, I can tell you from experience, the effect you have on others is the mostvaluable currency there is. (applause) Everything you gain in life will rot and fallapart, and all that will be left of you is what was in your heart. My choosing to free people from concern gotme to the top of a mountain. Look where I am — look what I get to do! Everywhere I go – and I’m going to getemotional because when I tap into this, it really is extraordinary to me — I did somethingthat makes people present their best selves to me wherever I go. (applause) I am at the top of the mountainand the only one I hadn’t freed was myself and that’s when my search for identity deepened. I wondered who I’d be without my fame. Who would I be if I said things that peopledidn’t want to hear, or if I defied their expectations of me? What if I showed up to the party without myMardi Gras mask and I refused to flash my breasts for a handful of beads? (laughter) I’ll give you a moment to wipethat image out of your mind. (laughter) But you guys are way ahead of the game. You already know who you are and that peace,that peace that we’re after, lies somewhere beyond personality, beyond the perceptionof others, beyond invention and disguise, even beyond effort itself. You can join the game, fight the wars, playwith form all you want, but to find real peace, you have to let the armor fall. Your need for acceptance can make you invisiblein this world. Don’t let anything stand in the way of thelight that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all of your glory. (A sheet drops and reveals Jim’s painting. Applause.) (Re: the painting) It’s not big enough!(kidding) This painting is big for a reason. This painting is called “High Visibility.” (laughter) It’s about picking up the lightand daring to be seen. Here’s the tricky part. Everyone is attracted to the light. The party host up in the corner (refers topainting) who thinks unconsciousness is bliss and is always offering a drink from the bottlesthat empty you; Misery, below her, who despises the light — can’t stand when you’redoing well — and wishes you nothing but the worst; The Queen of Diamonds who needsa King to build her house of cards; And the Hollow One, who clings to your leg and begs,“Please don’t leave me behind for I have abandoned myself.” Even those who are closest to you and mostin love with you; the people you love most in the world can find clarity confrontingat times. This painting took me thousands of hours tocomplete and — (applause) thank you — yes, thousands of hours that I’ll never get back,I’ll never get them back (kidding) — I worked on this for so long, for weeks andweeks, like a mad man alone on a scaffolding — and when I was finished one of my friendssaid, “This would be a cool black light painting.” (laughter) So I started over. (All the lights go off in the Dome and thepainting is showered with black light.) Whooooo! Welcome to Burning Man! (applause) Some prettycrazy characters right? Better up there than in here. (points to head) Painting is one of the waysI free myself from concern, a way to stop the world through total mental, spiritualand physical involvement. But even with that, comes a feeling of divinedissatisfaction. Because ultimately, we’re not the avatarswe create. We’re not the pictures on the film stock. We are the light that shines through it. All else is just smoke and mirrors. Distracting, but not truly compelling. I’ve often said that I wished people couldrealize all their dreams of wealth and fame so they could see that it’s not where you’llfind your sense of completion. Like many of you, I was concerned about goingout in the world and doing something bigger than myself, until someone smarter than myselfmade me realize that there is nothing bigger than myself! (laughter) My soul is not contained within the limitsof my body. My body is contained within the limitlessnessof my soul — one unified field of nothing dancing for no particularreason, except maybe to comfort and entertain itself. (applause) As that shift happens in you, youwon’t be feeling the world you’ll be felt by it — you will be embraced by it. Now, I’m always at the beginning. I have a reset button called presence andI ride that button constantly. Once that button is functional in your life,there’s no story the mind could create that will be as compelling. The imagination is always manufacturing scenarios— both good and bad — and the ego tries to keep you trapped in the multiplex of themind. Our eyes are not only viewers, but also projectorsthat are running a second story over the picture we see in front of us all the time. Fear is writing that script and the workingtitle is, ‘I’ll never be enough.’ You look at a person like me and say, (kidding)“How could we ever hope to reach those kinds of heights, Jim? How can I make a painting that’s too bigfor any reasonable home? How do you fly so high without a special breathingapparatus?” (laughter) This is the voice of your ego. If you listen to it, there will always besomeone who seems to be doing better than you. No matter what you gain, ego will not letyou rest. It will tell you that you cannot stop untilyou’ve left an indelible mark on the earth, until you’ve achieved immortality. How tricky is the ego that it would temptus with the promise of something we already possess. So I just want you to relax—that’s myjob—relax and dream up a good life! (applause) I had a substitute teacher from Ireland inthe second grade that told my class during Morning Prayer that when she wants something,anything at all, she prays for it, and promises something in return and she always gets it. I’m sitting at the back of the classroom,thinking that my family can’t afford a bike, so I went home and I prayed for one, and promisedI would recite the rosary every night in exchange. Broke it—broke that promise. (laughter) Two weeks later, I got home from school tofind a brand new mustang bike with a banana seat and easy rider handlebars — from foolto cool! My family informed me that I had won the bikein a raffle that a friend of mine had entered my name in, without my knowledge. That type of thing has been happening eversince, and as far as I can tell, it’s just about letting the universe know what you wantand working toward it while letting go of how it might come to pass. (applause) Your job is not to figure out how it’s goingto happen for you, but to open the door in your head and when the doors open in reallife, just walk through it. Don’t worry if you miss your cue. There will always be another door opening. They keep opening. And when I say, “life doesn’t happen toyou, it happens for you.” I really don’t know if that’s true. I’m just making a conscious choice to perceivechallenges as something beneficial so that I can deal with them in the most productiveway. You’ll come up with your own style, that’spart of the fun! Oh, and why not take a chance on faith aswell? Take a chance on faith — not religion, butfaith. Not hope, but faith. I don’t believe in hope. Hope is a beggar. Hope walks through the fire. Faith leaps over it. You are ready and able to do beautiful thingsin this world and after you walk through those doors today, you will only ever have two choices:love or fear. Choose love, and don’t ever let fear turnyou against your playful heart. Thank you. Jai Guru Dev. I’m so honored. Thank you. 

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Emma Watson | Speech

 I am reaching out to you because I need yourhelp. We want to end gender inequality—and todo that we need everyone to be involved. This is the first campaign of its kind atthe UN: we want to try and galvanize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates forgender equality. And we don’t just want to talk about it,but make sure it is tangible. I was appointed six months ago and the moreI have spoken about feminism the more I have realized that fighting for women’s rightshas too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain,it is that this has to stop. For the record, feminism by definition is:“The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economicand social equality of the sexes.” I started questioning gender-based assumptionswhen at eight I was confused at being called “bossy,” because I wanted to direct theplays we would put on for our parents—but the boys were not. When at 14 I started being sexualized by certainelements of the press.


When at 15 my girlfriends started droppingout of their sports teams because they didn’t want to appear “muscly.” When at 18 my male friends were unable toexpress their feelings. I decided I was a feminist and this seemeduncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminismhas become an unpopular word. Apparently I am among the ranks of women whoseexpressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive. Why is the word such an uncomfortable one? I am from Britain and think it is right thatas a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be ableto make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-makingof my country. I think it is right that socially I am affordedthe same respect as men. But sadly I can say that there is no one countryin the world where all women can expect to receive these rights. No country in the world can yet say they haveachieved gender equality. These rights I consider to be human rightsbut I am one of the lucky ones. My life is a sheer privilege because my parentsdidn’t love me less because I was born a daughter. My school did not limit me because I was agirl. My mentors didn’t assume I would go lessfar because I might give birth to a child one day. These influencers were the gender equalityambassadors that made me who I am today. They may not know it, but they are the inadvertentfeminists who are changing the world today. And we need more of those. And if you still hate the word—it is notthe word that is important but the idea and the ambition behind it. Because not all women have been afforded thesame rights that I have. In fact, statistically, very few have been. In 1995, Hilary Clinton made a famous speechin Beijing about women’s rights. Sadly many of the things she wanted to changeare still a reality today. But what stood out for me the most was thatonly 30 per cent of her audience were male. How can we affect change in the world whenonly half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation? Men—I would like to take this opportunityto extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too. Because to date, I’ve seen my father’srole as a parent being valued less by society despite my needing his presence as a childas much as my mother’s. I’ve seen young men suffering from mentalillness unable to ask for help for fear it would make them look less “macho”—infact in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49 years of age; eclipsingroad accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I’ve seen men made fragile and insecureby a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equalityeither. We don’t often talk about men being imprisonedby gender stereotypes but I can see that that they are and that when they are free, thingswill change for women as a natural consequence. If men don’t have to be aggressive in orderto be accepted women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’thave to be controlled. Both men and women should feel free to besensitive. Both men and women should feel free to bestrong… It is time that we all perceive gender ona spectrum not as two opposing sets of ideals. If we stop defining each other by what weare not and start defining ourselves by what we are—we can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom. I want men to take up this mantle. So their daughters, sisters and mothers canbe free from prejudice but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable andhuman too—reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more trueand complete version of themselves. You might be thinking who is this Harry Pottergirl? And what is she doing up on stage at the UN. It’s a good question and trust me, I havebeen asking myself the same thing. I don’t know if I am qualified to be here. All I know is that I care about this problem. And I want to make it better. And having seen what I’ve seen—and giventhe chance—I feel it is my duty to say something. English Statesman Edmund Burke said: “Allthat is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for enough good men and women to do nothing.” In my nervousness for this speech and in mymoments of doubt I’ve told myself firmly—if not me, who, if not now, when. If you have similar doubts when opportunitiesare presented to you I hope those words might be helpful. Because the reality is that if we do nothingit will take 75 years, or for me to be nearly a hundred before women can expect to be paidthe same as men for the same work. 15.5 million girls will be married in thenext 16 years as children. And at current rates it won’t be until 2086before all rural African girls will be able to receive a secondary education. If you believe in equality, you might be oneof those inadvertent feminists I spoke of earlier. And for this I applaud you. We are struggling for a uniting word but thegood news is we have a uniting movement. It is called HeForShe. I am inviting you to step forward, to be seento speak up, to be the "he" for "she". And to ask yourself if not me, who? If not now, when? Thank you. 

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Barack Obama | Speech

 Hello, Chicago. If there is anyone out there who still doubtsthat America is a place where all things are possible, who stillwonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the powerof our democracy, tonight is your answer. It's the answer told by lines that stretchedaround schools and churches in numbers this nation has neverseen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in theirlives, because they believed that this time must be different,that their voices could be that difference. It's the answer spoken by young and old, richand poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic,Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled.


Americans who sent a message to theworld that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red statesand blue states. We are, and always will be, the United Statesof America. It's the answer that led those who've beentold for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtfulabout what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once moretoward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight,because of what we did on this date in this election at this definingmoment change has come to America. --We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the hallsof Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines andthe living rooms of Concord and the front porchesof Charleston. It was built by working men and women whodug into what little savings they had to give $5and $10 and $20 to the cause. © 2018, ENGLISH SPEECHES, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. It grew strength from the young people whorejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left theirhomes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young peoplewho braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock ondoors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organizedand proved that more than two centuries later a governmentof the people, by the people, and for the people has notperished from the Earth. This is your victory. And I know you didn't do this just to winan election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormityof the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebratetonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime-- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisisin a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know thereare brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and themountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lieawake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll makethe mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education. There's new energy to harness, new jobs tobe created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliancesto repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even inone term. But, America, I have never been more hopefulthan I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with everydecision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve everyproblem. But I will always be honest with you aboutthe challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when wedisagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join inthe work of remaking this nation, the only way it's beendone in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by callousedhand. What began 21 months ago in the depths ofwinter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make thatchange. And thatcannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a newspirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism,of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and workharder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let us remember that, if this financial crisistaught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving WallStreet while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation,as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back onthe same partisanship and pettiness and immaturitythat has poisoned our politics for so long. Let's remember that it was a man from thisstate who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to theWhite House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty andnational unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a greatvictory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determinationto heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more dividedthan ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion mayhave strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I haveyet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hearyour voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too. And to all those watching tonight from beyondour shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who arehuddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, butour destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadershipis at hand. To those -- to those who would tear the worlddown: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace andsecurity: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America'sbeacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the truestrength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms orthe scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity,and unyielding hope. That's the true genius of America: that Americacan change. Our union can be perfected. What we'vealready achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. This election had many firsts and many storiesthat will be told for generations. But one that's on my mindtonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others whostood in line to make their voice heard in this electionexcept for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery;a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in thesky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman andbecause of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she'sseen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and thehope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the peoplewho pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women's voices were silencedand their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand upand speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes, we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl anddepression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fearitself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes, we can. When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyrannythreatened the world, she was there to witness ageneration rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes, we can. She was there for the buses in Montgomery,the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacherfrom Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes, we can. A man touched down on the moon, a wall camedown in Berlin, a world was connected by our own scienceand imagination. And this year, in this election, she touchedher finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 yearsin America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how Americacan change. Yes, we can. America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let usask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters shouldbe so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change willthey see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back towork and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restoreprosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirmthat fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; thatwhile we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicismand doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed thatsums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. 

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Will Smith | Speech |

 How much is fear play into preventing us fromgrasping perspective, though? Oh no! Fear is everything. Yeah, like if there is if there was one conceptthat I would suggest to people to take a daily confrontation with, it’s fear. The problem with fear is that it lies, right. So, fear tells you, "Hey, you know, if yousay that to that girl she's going to know she has you, you know, and she'll never reallybe attracted to you if she knows how much you attracted to her. Don't say that, no! How we get her is when she walks by, ignoreher." You know, fear tells you dumb shit like that.



Okay, you know. So, for me, the daily confrontation with fearhas become a real practice for me since about three years ago. I went skydiving in Dubai, right! As skydiving, skydiving is a really interestingconfront with fear, right. So, I got to stand up. So, all your friends… What happens you go out, how you… Oh sorry, drop my thing… So, what happens is you go out the night beforeand you-you know. You take a drink with your friends and somebodysays, "Yeah! We should go skydiving tomorrow." And you go, "Yeah, we'll go skydiving tomorrow." Yeah, yeah! Yeah, right? And you go home by yourself, you like, “hmm…” You like, "Well, yeah." I mean, they were drunk too, right? So, maybe they not, maybe-maybe, I mean. We don't have to go. We don’t have to do it. So then, that night you're laying in yourbed and you just keep “hmm” And you're terrified. You keep imagining over and over again jumpingout of an airplane, and you can't figure out why you would do that, right! And you're laying there you have the worstnight's sleep of your life but you still have the hope that your friends were drunk, right. So, you wake up the next day. You go, you know, down. You say where you were going to meet and everybody'sthere. You're like, "Oh shit!" Alright, alright. Cool, cool, cool, cool, right! So, you get in the van and you don't knowthat your friends have the same night that you had cuz they're pretended like they didn'tit. Like, "Yeah, man! My uncle's a Navy SEAL and, you know, thisis going to be great. I've been looking forward to this." You like, "Oh my god! Oh my god!" And your stomach is terrible. You can't eat and everything but you don'twant to be the only funk who doesn't jump out of this airplane. So, you get there and then you have the safetybrief. And you're standing there and the guys willtell you what the chute doesn't open what's going to happen is, you're doing… What…Would…What could happen? The chute, the chute would open, right? So, you do a thing and what you do is yourfirst jump you're attached to a guy who is going, you know, he's going to walk you out. So, you go and you get there, and there'san airplane and nobody's stopping. Everybody's still going. So, you get onto the airplane and you're sittingthere, and, you know, it's extra because you're sitting on some dude’s lap, some strangeryou sit on his lap. And it's all you know. You got trying to make small talk, "Yeah man!" So, you-you've been jumping with people allthe time. Right. You know. So, and then you just want to make sure, "Yougot, you got kids, right? You got people you need to see, right?" Just want to make sure he's serious, right. So, you get in there. So, everything's normal. So, you fly and you go up, you go up, yougo up, you go up to 14,000 feet, and you notice there's a light: It's red, and it's yellowand green. Right. So right now, the lights red. So, then you start thinking at some pointthe lights going to go green because you don't know what's going to happen, right. And you wait, and it goes yellow, and thelight goes green, and somebody opens the door and at that moment, you realize you've neverbeen in a freaking airplane with the door open. Right! Terror!!! Oh sorry, I spit… Oh sorry… Terror! Terror! Terror! Terror! Right! So, you go and then, you know, if you're,if you were smart you sat in the back, so you don't go first, right. And then, people start going out of the airplane,and you go, and the guy walks you up to the end of the thing and you're standing and yourtoes are on the edge, and you're looking out down to death. And they say, "On three!" And they say, “One, two…” And he pushes you on two because people grabon three, right. And you go… And you fall out of the airplane and in onesecond you realize that it's the most blissful experience of your life. You're flying, right. It doesn't feel like falling, right. It's like that you, actually, are kind ofheld a little bit by the wind and then, you start, and youstart falling, you falling, and you, there's zero fear. You realize that the point of maximum dangeris the point of minimum fear. It's bliss! It's bliss! And you're flying…. And you're doing it... And then 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 40 seconds,and you have enough time to just kind of like, "Ah! That's that building I saw that morning…Oh,I can see the ocean…" Right? You start doing all of that, and the lessonfor me was: Why were you scared in your bed the night beforeWhy did you…what do you need that fear for? Just don't go! Why are you scared in your bed 16 hours before? You jump? Why are you scared in the car? Why could you not enjoy breakfast? What would…What would you need that? Fear is…Fear of what? You’re now where to even near to the airplane. Everything is up to the stepping out. There's actually no reason to be scared! It only just ruins your day. You don't have to jump. And then, at that moment all of a sudden whereyou should be terrified is the most blissful experience of your life, and God placed thebest things in life on the other side of Terror. On the other side of your maximum fear orall of the best things in life. You know, so that was…oh, sorry. So, that was, yeah, that was, that was myexperience with skydiving and fear. All right, all right. So, practically speaking… But, I didn't like that take, I'm gonna doit again. Back to the top. I can sell that better. I can sell that better. When did you decide to do something like that? Like, how does it work practically? Do you call your wife and be like, "I mightbe dead tomorrow." Right. No, but that's what… I never… Just promise… Yeah, I made a drunk promise, yeah. How about this, so I jumped I had such a mysticalpowerful spiritual experience I flew home and got my sons, and I went back and ten dayslater my son's jumped. Right. Now, that was a little different……that makes me spit… Because I'm scared I'm scared, right. So, it was one…So, Jayden went first, right. Jayden wants to do everything first. So, I'm sitting there and I'm like, "Yeah,my sons are going to have this crazy experience." And then Jayden went out of the airplane,I was like, “hmm…” Then my oldest son Trey goes up and he goesout of the airplane, and I was like, "This could potentially be the worst display ofAfrican-American parenting in history". I was like, both my sons just fell out ofan airplane. Jump…jump, right! Because I told them to and that…but againthe fear again. I was like, "Oh my god". So, I told the dude. I was like, "Listen! I want to see them go out but I also wantto see them land." And he's like, "No, it’s cool". So, this time we went out and we did the straightbullet. And I just went straight down, past them,right. Are you good? Right. Did the bullet straight past, pull the chutelate…Oh, sorry. It makes me spit… I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Pulled the chute late, landed and then videothem coming down. But it was like, they had the same thing,the same experience with the fear but that I'm telling you the confrontation with fearis an absolutely magical way of facing the things we have to do in this life. You know, forget security live for experience. So, with that, every morning when I get outof the bed, you know, I haven't fixed everything in the world yet so there's always somethingto do, and in this film, I read an interesting quote…the Siddhārtha Gautama, the Buddha,he said that "Good people have to get out of the bed every day and try to empty theocean with a ladle". Right. And I thought that was, you know, I knew thatwas profound and I paused for a second, and I said, "All right, what the hell is a ladle? Right? Right? So there, you know, I just…I touched iton my iPad, what’s ladle? Oh! It's like a big spoon…a big spoon, okay. Like a soup spoon, yeah. A soup spoon. I was like, "Why your soup spoon". So, trying to empty the ocean with a soupspoon, you know, as the mentality of how you wake up every day to try to do good in theworld. So, for me I'm…uh…I'm really driven bycontinually trying to elevate my, elevate my mind and elevate my spirit, and care formy body and to be able to love as many people as effectively as possible with this mysteryof life that I've been given. 

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Muniba Nazari | Speech |

 Thank you so much for all the love, for allthe warm. Thank you all for accepting me. Thank you very much. Well, I always start my talk with some disclaimer. And that disclaimer is that I never claimedto be a motivational speaker. Yes, I do speak. But I feel like a storyteller. Because where ever I go I share a story with everyone. I believe in the power of words. Many people speak before they think. But I know the value of words. Words can make you, break you, they can healyour soul, they can damage you forever. So, I always try to use positive words inmy life. Wherever I go, they call it adversity, I callit opportunity.


They call it a weakness, I call it strength. They call me to disable, I call myself differentlyable. They see my disability. They see my disability. I see my ability. There are some incidents that happened inyour life. And those incidents are so strong that theychange your DNA. Those incidents and accidents are so strongthat they break you physically. They deform your body but they transform yoursoul. Those incidents break you, deform you butthey mold you into the best version of you. And the same thing happened to me. And I am going to share what exactly happenedto me. I was 18 years old when I got married. I belong to a very conservative family, aBaloch family. My father wanted me to get married and allI said was if that makes you happy, I will say ‘YES’. and of course, it was nevera happy marriage. Just about after 2 years of getting married,about 9 years ago, I met a car accident. Somehow my husband fell asleep and the carfell into the ditch. He managed to jump out, saved himself. I am happy for him. But I stayed inside the car and I sustaina lot of injuries. My right arm was fractured, whist was fractured,shoulder bone and collarbone was fractured. And because of the rib cage injury, lungsand liver were badly injured. I couldn’t breathe. I lost urine control. That’s why I have to wear the bag whereever I go. But that injuries changed me and my life completely. As a person, my perception towards livingmy life was the spine injury. My backbone was completely crushed. And I got paralyzed for the rest of my life. So this accident took place in a far-flungarea of Balochistan where there was no first aid, no hospital, no ambulance. I was in the middle of nowhere. Many people came to rescue. They drag me out of the car. While they were dragging me out I got thecomplete transaction of my spinal cord. And now there was this debate going on, shouldwe keep it here, she is going to die, or where should we go. There was no ambulance. The was one four wheeler jeep standing inthe corner of the street. They said, put her in the back of the jeepand take her to the hospital which is 3 hours away from this place. And I still remember that bumpy ride. I was all broken. They threw me in the back of the jeep andthey rushed me to the hospital. That is where I realized that my half bodywas paralyzed and half body was fractured. I finally ended up in a hospital where I stayedfor two and a half months. I underwent multiple surgeries. Doctors have put a lot of titanium in my armsand there was a lot of titanium on my back to fix my back. That’s why, In Pakistan, people called methe ‘Iron Lady’ of Pakistan. Sometimes I wonder how easy it is for me todescribe all this all over again. And somebody has rightly said that when youshare your story and it doesn’t make you cry, that means you are healing. Those two and a half months, in the hospital,were droughtful. I will not make a story just to inspire you. I was on the verge of dis-pare. One day the doctor came to me, and he said,well I heard that you want to be an artist, but you ended up being a housewife. I have bad news for you. You won’t be able to paint again becauseyour wrist and arm are so deformed. You won’t be able to hold the pen again. And I stayed quiet. Next day, the doctor came to me and said,your spine injury is so bad you won’t be able to walk again. I took a deep breath. And I said it’s alright. Again, Next day the doctor came and said,because of your spine injury and your fixation that you have in your back, you won’t beable to give birth to a child again. That day, I was devastated. I still remember, I ask my mother, why me,and that is where I started to question my existence. Why am I even alive? What’s the point of living? I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t paint, fine. I cannot be a mother and we have this thingin our head being women that we are incomplete without. Having children, I am going to be an incompletewoman for the rest of my life. What’s the point? People are scared that they think I will getdivorced. What is going to happen to me? Why me? Why Am I alive? We all try to chase this tunnel. We all do this. Because we see lights at the end of the tunnelwhich keeps us going. My dear friends, in my situation, there wasa tunnel that I had to roll on but there was no light. And that is where I realized the words havethe power to heal the soul. My mother said to me that this two sell-pass. God has a greater plan for you. I don’t know what it is. But he surely has. And all in that distress and grief, mom’sthose words were so magical that they kept me going. I was trying to put my smile on my face allthe time hiding the pain. It was so hard to hide the pain which wasthere. But all I knew was that I will give up, mymother and brother will give up too. I cannot see them crying with me. So what kept me going was one day I askedmy brother, I know, I have a deformed hand but I am tired of looking at these white wallsin the hospital and wearing this white scraps. I am getting tired of this. I want to add more colors to my life. I want to do something. Bring me some colors, I want to paint. so the very first painting I made was on mydeathbed. It was not just an art piece or not just mypassion. It was my therapy. What an amazing therapy it was. without saying a single word, I could paintmy heart out. I could share my story. People used to come and say, ‘wow, whata lovely painting’. so much color, nobody sees the grief in it. Only I could. So that’s how I spend my two and a halfmonths in the hospital. Lying, never complaining or whining but painting. And then I was discharged. And I went back home. and I realized that I have developed a lotof pressure ulcers on my back, on my hipbone. I was unable to sit. There were a lot of infections all over mybody, a lot of allergies. So Doctor wanted me to lie down on the bedstraight. For not six months, for not 1 year, but fortwo years I was bedridden confined in that one room looking outside the window listeningto the birds chirping and thinking there will be a time when we will be going out with thefamily and enjoying the nature. That was the time, where I realized how luckypeople are but they don’t realize. That is the time where I realized, the dayI going to sit, I am going to share this pain to make them realize how blessed they areand they even don’t consider them lucky. There are always turning points in your life. There was a rebirthday that I celebrated. After two years and two and a half monthswhen I was able to sit in a wheelchair. That was the day where I had the rebirth. I was a completely different person. I still remember the day I sat on the wheelchairfirst time knowing that I am never going to live this, knowing that I am never going towalk for the rest of my life. I saw myself in the mirror. and I talked tomy self. And I still remember what I said. I cannot wait for a miracle to come and makeme walk. I cannot sit in the corner of the room crying,cripping and begging mercy because nobody has time. So, I have to accept my self, the way I am,the sooner the better. So, I applied the lip color for the firsttime. And I erased it. and I cried and I said whatam I doing. A person on a wheelchair should not do this. What will people say? Clean it up. Put it back again. This time I put it to myself. Because I want to feel perfect from within. And that day I decided I am going to a lifeof myself. I am not going to be that perfect person forsomeone. I am just going to take this moment and Iwill make it perfect for myself. And do you know, how we all begin? That day I decided, I am going to fight myfears. We all have fears. Fear of the unknown, fear of known. Fear of losing people. Fear of losing health, money. We want to excel in a career. We want to become famous. We want to get money. We are scared all the time. so I wrote down one by one, all those fears. And I decided I am going to overcome thosefears one at a time. You know what was my biggest fear. Divorce. I couldn’t stand this word. I was trying to cling on this person who didn’twant me anymore. But I said no, I have to make it work. But the day I decided that this is nothingbut my fear. I liberated myself by setting him free. And I made myself emotionally so strong thatthe day I got news that he is getting married, I sent him a text and said, ‘I am so happyfor you’ and wanna wish you all the best. And he knows that I pray for him today. My biggest fear number two was I won’t beable to be a mother again and that was quite devastating for me. But then I realize, there are so many childrenin the world, all they want is the acceptance. So there is no point of crying, just go andadopt one. That’s what I did. I gave my name to different organizations,different orphanages. I didn’t mention, I am on the wheelchair,dying to have a child. so I told then this is Muniba Mazari and shewants to adopt, boy-girl what so ever. But I want to adopt and I waited patiently. Two years later, I got this call from a verysmall city in Pakistan. They said, ‘Are you Muniba Mazari’. There is a baby boy. Would you like to adopt? And When I said ‘Yes’, I could literallyfeel the labor pain. Yes Yes, I am going to adopt him. I am coming to take him home. And when I reached there, the man was sittingthere and he was looking at me from head to toe. Don’t judge me, I am in a wheelchair. You know what he said, ‘I know you willbe the best mother of this child. You both will be lucky to have each other’. And that day, he was two days old and todayhe is six. You will be surprised to know the bigger fearthat I had in me. It was facing people. I used to hide from people. When I was in bed for two years and I usedto keep the doors closed. I used to pretend that I am not going to meetanyone. Tell them I am sleeping. You know why? Because I couldn’t stand that sympathy thatthey had for me. They used to treat me like a patient. When I used to smile, look at me and said,‘You are smiling, are you OK’. I was tired of this question being asked. Are you sick? Well, a lady at the airport asked me, ‘Areyou sick’. And I said, well, besides this spinal cordinjury, I am fine. I guess. Those were really cute questions. They never used to feel cute when I was onthe bed. so I used to hide from people knowing thatOh my god I am not going to see that sympathy on their eyes. It’s all right. Today, I am here speaking to all these amazingpeople. Because I have overcome the fear. You know when you ended up being in the wheelchair,what’s the most painful thing? That’s another fear. People on the wheelchair, who are differentlyable to have their hearts but they never share. I will share that with you. The lack of acceptance. People think that they will not be acceptedby the people because we and the world of perfect people are imperfects. So, I decided instead of starting an INGO,NGO for disabilities awareness which I know will not help anyone, I started to appearmore in public. I started to paint. I always wanted to. I have a lot of exhibitions for Pakistan,I have done a lot of modeling campaign, different campaign for brands like tony and guy. I have done some really funny breaking thebarriers kinds of modelings. There was this one by the name clown townwhere I became a clown because I know that clowns have a heart too. So, when you accept yourself, the way youare, the world recognizes you. It all starts from within. I became the national goodwill ambassadorof UN women, Pakistan. And now I speak for the rights of women andchildren. We talk about inclusion, diversity, genderequality which is a must. I was featured in BBC 100 women for 2015. One of the Forbes 30 under 30 for 2016. And it all didn’t happen alone. You all are thriving in your careers. You have bigger dreams and aspirations inlife. Always remember one thing, on the road tosuccess there is always ‘We’ not ‘Me’. Do not think that you alone can achieve things. No, there is always another person, who isstanding behind you, maybe not coming on the forefront, behind you, supporting you. Never lose that person. Never. No matter how much I say that I couldn’tfind a hero. so I became one. I still want to recognize those three peoplein my life who literally changed my life completely and I get inspiration from them every singleday. The women who believe in me even when I wascompletely on the verge of dis-pare where everybody left, she was there. And every time, I looked at her saying. She used to look at me and said, it’s toosell pass. God has a bigger plan. One day you will say that Oh my God, thatis why God has chosen me. She never cried in front of me. She always said that there will be haters,there will be naysayers, there will be disbelievers and there will be you to proving them wrong. My mother. Whatever I am today, I am nothing withouther. I am nothing without her. Thank you, mama, I wish you were here. Thank you for making me, who I am today. You know, what we human being have a problem. We always expect each from lives. We have this amazing fantasy about life. This is how things should work. This is my plan. It should go as per my plan. If that doesn’t happen, we give up. So my dear friends, let me tell you one thing. I never wanted to be in a wheelchair. Never thought of being in a wheelchair. I was always aspiring to do bigger things. and I had no idea, for that, I have to paythe price to be where I am today. It’s a very heavy price. This life is a test and a trial. Tests are trials. I never supposed to be easy and why you areexpecting each from lives. And life gives you the lemon. and you madethe lemonade. and then do not blame for life for that. Because you were expecting each from a trial. Trial make you a stronger better person. Life is a trial. Every time you realize that. It is OK to be scared. It is OK to cry. Everything is OK. but giving up is not bean option, should not be an option. They always say that failure is not an option. Failure should be an option. When you fail, you get up and then you fail,then you get up, that keeps you going. That’s how humans are strong. A failure is an option. It should be an option. but giving up is not. Never. We have these things in minds. We call it perfection. We want everything perfect. We want our self to be perfect. Perfect life, Perfect relationships, Perfectcareer, Perfect amount of money that we need to earn no matter what. Nothing is perfect in this world. We all are perfectly imperfect. And that is perfectly alright. That’s alright! You were sent here not to become perfect people. Those people who tell you how to look perfecteven those people are imperfect. Trying to fight this fear of looking imperfect. I used to be perfect. I still remember I got this complements, yearsago, when I used to walk. OMG, look at you, you are so fair, you aretall, you are perfect. Look at me now. Only the perfect eyes can see that. Only the perfect eyes will see that. Only the perfect eyes will see that. So, Yes. And all those imperfections you have to listento your hearts. You don’t have to look good for people. You don’t have to be perfect just becauseother people wanted you to be perfect. If your soul is perfect from within. That’s all right! This is all that you want. This is all that you need to be. Our society has made a very weird, very weirdkind of norms to look perfect in grade. For a man, it’s different. For a woman, it’s different. We think too much about what people say. We listen to ourselves too little. You know what makes you perfect. When you make someone smile. You know what makes you perfect when you tryto do something good for the people around you. You know what makes you perfect. when you feel someone’s pain. And how beautiful pain is that it connectswith people. No other medium can connect you other butpain. That’s why I always say I am in pain. That’s a blessing for me. Today, just because I am in pain and I amon the wheelchair, I work for children. Being the head of CSRF of company we conductmedical camps in far-flung areas of Pakistan where so many kids died because there theydon’t have medical facilities. And I personally believe that just becausethey cannot afford to live doesn’t mean that we will let them die. so we give them money, we give them medicaltreatment. We try to heal their wounds. Physical and emotional. And I also work for the beautiful people wecall them third gender. The transgender community of Pakistan. You know, what connects me with them. All my imperfections. When I go and hug them they never judge meand this very good friend of mine. Her name is Bijli. Bijli means electricity. She called herself electricity. And I said are you electricity. She says ‘no’. I am lighting. I am as strong as lightning. I am thunder. I am lightning. She came to me and the first time I hugged she said You are justlike me. And I said I am like you. Because to people, we are so imperfect. So how beautiful these imperfections are. Because of these imperfections, you can connectto people then why are we all running after being perfect. What’s the point? Every time I go in public. I smile. And People asked me, ‘Don’t you get tiredof smiling all the time’ What’s the secret. I always say one thing. I have stopped worrying about the things thatI have lost, people I have lost. Things and people who were meant to be withme are with me. And sometimes somebody’s absence makes youa better person. Cherish their absence. It always a blessing. I always say that people are so lucky thateven they don’t realize, you must be thinking. OK. You are lucky in that sense. Well, the breath you just took now was a blessing. Embraces it. There are so many people in the world whoare dreaming to live a life that you are living right now. You have no idea. Embraces each and every breath you are taking. Celebrate your life. Live it. Don’t die before your death. We all die. We live this one routine of the day for 75years and we call it life. No that’s not life. If you are still thinking about why you havebeen sent here. If you are still juggling with the conceptof why you are here, you haven’t lived yet. You work hard. You make money. You do it for yourself. That’s not life. You go out and seek for people who need yourhelp. You make their lives better. You add colors to their lives, you add valuesto their lives. You become that sponge which removes all negativity. You can become that person who can emit beautifulpositive vibes and when you realize that you have changed someone’s life. And Because of you, this person didn’t giveup. That is the day, when you live, Always. We were talking about gratitude. Why I smile all the time. I cry all night when nobody sees me. Because I am a human and I have to keep thebalance. And I smiled all day because I know that ifI smile I can make people smile, that keeps me going. Be grateful, what you have. And you will always always always ended upwith having more. But if you will cry, if you will crip forthe little things that you don’t have or the things you have lost. You will never ever have enough. Sometimes we are too busy thinking about thethings that we don’t have. Forget. Cherish the blessings that we have. I am not saying that I am not healthy thatmakes me unlucky. But Yes, it is hard. It is hard when I say I can’t walk. It’s hard when I say I have to wear that bag. It hurts. but I have to keep going. Because never giving up is the way to live. Always. So well, end my talk, on a very short note. Live your life fully. Accept the way you are. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to yourself. I will repeat, Be kind to yourself. and then only we can be kind to others. Love your self. Spread that love. Life will be hard. There will be turmoil, there will be trials. But that will only make you stronger. Never give up. The real happiness does not lie in money orsuccess or fame. I have all this and I have never wanted this. Real happiness lies in gratitude. So be grateful and be alive and live in everymoment. Thank you so much, everyone 

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Bill Gates | Speech |

 President Bok, former President Rudenstine,incoming President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, membersof the faculty, parents, and especially, the graduates: I’ve been waiting more than 30 years tosay this: “Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree.” I want to thank Harvard for this timely honor. 

I’ll be changing my job next year … andit will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume. I applaud the graduates today for taking amuch more direct route to your degrees.

For my part, I’m just happy that the Crimsonhas called me “Harvard’s most successful dropout.” I guess that makes me valedictorian of myown special class … I did the best of everyone who failed. But I also want to be recognized as the guywho got Steve Ballmer to drop out of business school. I’m a bad influence. That’s why I was invited to speak at yourgraduation. If I had spoken at your orientation, fewerof you might be here today. 

Harvard was just a phenomenal experience forme. Academic life was fascinating. I used to sit in on lots of classes I hadn’teven signed up for. And dorm life was terrific. I lived up at Radcliffe, in Currier House. There were always lots of people in my dormroom late at night discussing things, because everyone knew I didn’t worry about gettingup in the morning. That’s how I came to be the leader of theanti-social group. 

We clung to each other as a way of validatingour rejection of all those social people. Bill Gates addresses the Harvard Alumni Associationin Tecentenary Theater at Harvard University’s 2007 Commencement Afternoon Exercises. Radcliffe was a great place to live. There were more women up there, and most ofthe guys were science-math types. That combination offered me the best odds,if you know what I mean. This is where I learned the sad lesson thatimproving your odds doesn’t guarantee success. 

One of my biggest memories of Harvard camein January 1975, when I made a call from Currier House to a company in Albuquerque that had begun makingthe world’s first personal computers. I offered to sell them software. I worried that they would realize I was justa student in a dorm and hang up on me. Instead they said: “We’re not quite ready,come see us in a month,” which was a good thing, because we hadn’t written the softwareyet. 

From that moment, I worked day and night onthis little extra credit project that marked the end of my college education and the beginningof a remarkable journey with Microsoft. What I remember above all about Harvard wasbeing in the midst of so much energy and intelligence. It could be exhilarating, intimidating, sometimeseven discouraging, but always challenging.

 It was an amazing privilege – and thoughI left early, I was transformed by my years at Harvard, the friendships I made, and theideas I worked on. But taking a serious look back … I do haveone big regret. I left Harvard with no real awareness of theawful inequities in the world – the appalling disparities of health, and wealth, and opportunitythat condemn millions of people to lives of despair. 

I learned a lot here at Harvard about newideas in economics and politics. I got great exposure to the advances beingmade in the sciences. But humanity’s greatest advances are notin its discoveries – but in how those discoveries are applied to reduce inequity. Whether through democracy, strong public education,quality health care, or broad economic opportunity – reducing inequity is the highest human achievement. 

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George Bush Speech

 I once heard it said of man that the ideais to die young, as late as possible. At age 85, a favorite pastime of George H.W.Bush was firing up his boat, the Fidelity, and opening up the three 300-horsepower engines to fly — joyfully fly — across the Atlantic with the Secret Service boats straining to keep up. At age 90, George H.W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St. Ann’s by the Sea in Kennebunkport, Maine,the church where his mom was married and where he worshiped often. 

Mother liked to say he chose the locationjust in case the chute didn’t open. After high school, he put college on holdand became a Navy fighter pilot as World War II broke out. Like many of his generation, he never talkedabout his service until his time as a public figure forced his hand.

We learned of the attack on Chichi Jima, themission completed, the shoot-down. We learned of the death of his crew mates,whom he thought about throughout his entire life. And we learned of the rescue. And then another audacious decision: He movedhis young family from the comforts of the East Coast to Odessa, Texas. He and Mom adjusted to their arid surroundingsquickly. 

He was a tolerant man. After all, he was kind and neighborly to thewomen with whom he, Mom and I shared a bathroom in our small duplex, even after he learnedtheir profession: ladies of the night. Dad could relate to people from all walksof life. He was an empathetic man. 

He valued character over pedigree. And he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person, andhe usually found it. Dad taught us that public service is nobleand necessary, that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values likefaith and family. He strongly believed that it was importantto give back to the community and country in which one lived. 

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BTS || Speak Yourself ||

 Thank you, Mr. Secretary General, UNICEF ExecutiveDirector, Excellencies and distinguished guests from across the world.

 My name is Kim Nam Jun, also known as RM,the leader of the group BTS. It’s an incredible honor to be invited to an occasion of such significance for today’s young generation.

 Last November, BTS launched the LOVE MYSELF campaign with UNICEF building on our belief that true love first begins with loving myself.

 We’ve been partnering with UNICEF’s endviolence program to protect children and young people all over the world from violence. And, our fans have become a major part ofthis campaign with their action and their enthusiasm. We truly have the best fans in the world. I’d like to begin by talking about myself. I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, SouthKorea.


 It is a really beautiful place with a lake,hills, and even an annual flower festival. I spent a very happy childhood there and Iwas judged as an ordinary boy. I used to look up at the night sky and I used to dream the dreams of a boy.

 I used to imagine that I was a super herowho could save the world. In an intro to one of our early albums there’sa line that says, “My heart stopped when I was maybe nine or ten.” Looking back, I think that’s when I beganto worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself in their eyes.

 I stopped looking up at the night skies, the stars. I stopped day dreaming. Instead, I just tried to jam myself into the molds that other people made. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice andstarted to listen to the voices of others. No one called out my name and neither didI. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. And so, like this I, we, all lost our names.


 We became like ghosts. But, I had one thing and that was music. There was a small voice inside of me thatsaid, “Wake up, man, and listen to yourself.” But, it took me quite a long time to hearmusic calling my real name. Even after making the decision to join BTS,there were a lot of hurdles. Some people might not believe it, but mostpeople thought we were hopeless. And, sometimes, I just wanted to quit.

 But, I think I was very lucky that I didn’tgive it all up. And, I’m sure that I and we will keep stumblingand falling like this. BTS has become artists performing in thosehuge stadiums, and we’re selling millions of albums right now. But, I am still an ordinary 24-year-old guy. If there’s anything that I’ve achievedit was only possible that I have my other BTS members right by my side, and becauseof the love and support that our ARMY fans all over the world made for us. And, maybe I made a mistake yesterday. But, yesterday’s me is still me.

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Angelina Jolie | What We Stand For |

We remember all those who died, to acknowledgeeach valuable life cut short, and the families who share,We are here in memory of Sergio Vieira deMello and the 21 other men and women, most of them UN workers, who died with him in thebombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad in August 2003.
 even today, in their sacrifice.



We also remember them for the power of theexample they set: brave individuals from 11 different countries, working to help Iraqipeople, at the direction of the United Nations Security Council, and on behalf of us all.

This is something forgotten: that in servingunder the UN flag they died in our names, as our representatives.

At their head was Sergio Vieira de Mello,a man of extraordinary grace and ability, as so many who knew him testify. A man who gave 30 years to the United Nations,rising from a field officer to High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Representativeto Iraq.

From Bangladesh and Bosnia to South Sudanto East Timor, he spent the majority of his career in the field, working alongside peopleforced from their homes by war, and assisting them with his skill as a diplomat and negotiator. Perhaps the greatest testament to his contribution,is how much his advice would be valued today.



 As the Syrian conflict enters its seventhyear, as we live through the gravest refugee crisis since the founding of the United Nations,as 20 million people are on the brink of death from starvation in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudanand northeast Nigeria, I cannot imagine that there is anyone in the leadership of the UnitedNations who would not welcome the opportunity to consult Sergio, or send him into the fieldonce more.



He is truly missed, even today. It is humbling for me to speak tonight inthe presence of members of Sergio’s family and his former colleagues.

I never knew Sergio, but I have stood beforethe plaque in the place where he died. I felt profound sadness at the fact that theconflict in Iraq – the source of so much Iraqi suffering to this day - had claimedthe lives of men and women whose only intention was to try and improve a desperate situation. But I also saw clearly the value and nobilityof a life spent in service of others.

Sergio was a man who never turned down anassignment, no matter how difficult and dangerous - or as others have put it, was “handedone impossible task after another”. He was a man, to borrow the words of ThomasPaine, whose country was the world, and whose religion was to do good. He will always remain a hero and inspirationto all who follow in his footsteps.

1. The UN’s work did not end there, in therubble of the Canal Hotel, 14 years ago. Hundreds of UN staff have served, and continueto, serve in Iraq, as they do from Afghanistan to Somalia, because the task of building peaceand security can never be abandoned, no matter how bleak the situation.

• My Thoughts on Sergio’s life and legacyderive from my 16 years with UNHCR, the Agency he spent so much of his career serving andrepresenting.

But I also speak as a citizen of my country– the United States. I believe all of us who work with the UN preservethis duality. The United Nations is not a country, it isa place where we come together as nations and people to try to resolve our differencesand unite in common action.

As a citizen I find myself looking out ona global environment that seems more troubling and uncertain than at any time in my lifetime. I imagine many of you may feel the same. We are grappling with a level of conflictand insecurity that seems to exceed our will and capabilities: with more refugees thanever before, and new wars erupting on top of existing conflicts, some already lastingdecades.

We see a rising tide of nationalism, masqueradingas patriotism, and the re-emergence of policies encouraging fear and hatred of others. We see some politicians elected partly onthe basis of dismissing international institutions and agreements, as if our countries have notbenefited from cooperation, but actually been harmed by it.


We hear some leaders talking as if some ofour proudest achievements are in fact our biggest liabilities – whether it is thetradition of successfully integrating refugees into our societies, or the institutions andtreaties we have built rooted in laws and human rights.


We see nations that played a proud role inthe founding of the International Criminal Court withdrawing from it, on the one hand,and on the other, we see arrest warrants for alleged war crimes issued but not implemented,and other crimes ignored altogether.

We are see a country like South Sudan usheredby the international community into independence, then largely abandoned – not by the UN agenciesand NGOs – but effectively abandoned, without the massive support they needed to make asuccess of sovereignty. And we see resolutions and laws on the protectionof civilians and the use of chemical weapons, for instance, flouted repeatedly, in somecases under the cover of Security Council vetoes, as in Syria.


Many of these things are not new – but takentogether – and in the absence of strong international leadership, they are deeplyworrying. When we consider all this and more, as citizens,what is our answer? Do we, as some would encourage us to think,turn our backs on the world, and hope we can wait for storms to pass? Or do we strengthen our commitment to diplomacyand to the United Nations?


I strongly believe there is only one choice,demanded by reason as well as by conscience, which is the hard work of diplomacy and negotiationand reform of the UN.

This is not to say that that is any way an easy road. And there are reasons people feel insecure today. The level of conflict and lack of solutions combined with the fear of terrorism; the reality that globalisation has bought vast benefits to some but worsened the lot of others; the sense of a disconnect between citizens and governments, or in some countries the lack of governance; the overall feeling that for all our gains in technology and connectedness, we are less in control of forces shaping our lives – all these factors and more have contributed to a sense of a world out of balance,and there are no easy answers.


And the millions of people who havelifted themselves out of poverty in our lifetimes, the difference between the lives of thoseof us born in wealthy, democratic societies and those born into the slums and refugeecamps of the world is a profound injustice.

We see it and we know it to be wrong, at a simple human level. That inequality is contributing to instability,conflict and migration as well as to the sense that the international system serves the few at the expense of the many.

• But again, what is our answer, as citizens?

 Do we withdraw from the world where beforewe felt a responsibility to be part of solutions? I am a proud American and I am an internationalist.

 I believe anyone committed to human rightsis an internationalist. It means seeing the world with a sense offairness and humility, and recognizing our own humanity in the struggles of others.

 It stems from love of one’s country, butnot at the expense of others - from patriotism, but not from narrow nationalism. It includes the view that success isn’tbeing better or greater than others, but finding your place in a world where others succeedtoo. And that a strong nation, like a strong person,helps others to rise up and be independent.

It is the spirit that made possible the creationof the UN, out of the rubble and ruin and 60 million dead of World War Two; so thateven before the task of defeating Nazism was complete, that generation of wartime leaderswas forging the United Nations.


 If governments and leaders are not keepingthat flame of internationalism alive today, then we as citizens must. The challenge is how to restore that senseof balance and hopefulness in our countries, while not sacrificing all we have learnt aboutthe value and necessity of internationalism.

Because a world in which we turn our backon our global responsibilities will be a world that produces greater insecurity, violenceand danger for us and for our children. This is not a clash between idealism and realism.

It is the recognition that there is no shortcutto peace and security, and no substitute for the long, painstaking effort to end conflicts,expand human rights and strengthen the rule of law.


We have to challenge the idea that the strongestleaders are those most willing to dismiss human rights on the grounds of national interest. The strongest leaders are those who are capableof pursuing both. Having strong values and the will to act uponthem doesn’t weaken our borders or our militaries – it is their essential foundation.

None of this is to say that the UN is perfect. Of course, it is not. I have never met a field officer who has notrailed against its shortcomings, as I imagine Sergio did in his darkest moments. He, like all of us, wanted a UN that was moredecisive, less bureaucratic, and that lived up to its standards.

 But he never said it was pointless. He never threw in the towel. The UN is an imperfect organization becausewe are imperfect. It is not separate from us. Our decisions, particularly those made bythe Security Council, have played a part in creating the landscape we are dealing withtoday.

 We should always remember why the UN was formed,and what it is for, and take that responsibility seriously. We have to recognize the damage we do when we undermine the UN or use it selectively - or not at all - or when we rely on aid todo the job of diplomacy, or give the UN impossible tasks and then underfund it. For example today, there is not a single humanitarian appeal anywhere in the world that is funded by even half of what is required. In fact it is worse than that.

 Appeals for countries on the brink of faminetoday are 17%, 7%, and 5% funded, for example. Of course, emergency aid is not the long-termanswer. No one prefers that kind of aid. Not citizens of donor countries. Not governments. Not refugees. They do not want to be dependent.

It would be far better to be able to investall our funds in infrastructure and schools and trade and enterprises. But let’s be clear, emergency aid has tocontinue because many states cannot or will not protect the rights of citizens aroundthe world.

It is what we spend in countries where wehave no diplomacy or our diplomacy is not working. Until we do better at preventing and reducingconflict, we are doomed to be in a cycle of having to help feed or shelter people whensocieties collapse.
As another legendary UN leader, who was alsokilled in the line of duty, Dag

Hammerskold, said “Everything will be all right – youknow when? 

When people just people, stop thinking ofthe United Nations as a weird Picasso abstraction and see it as a drawing they made themselves”. The UN can only change if governments changetheir policies. And if we as citizens ask our governmentsto do that.

 It is moving, if you think about it: 

We are the future generations envisaged in the UN Charter. When our grandparents resolved to “spare future generations the scourge of war”, as written in the Charter, they were thinking of us. But as well as dreaming of our safety they also left us a responsibility.

President Roosevelt, addressing the US Congressin January 1945, six months before the end of Second World War, said this:

 “In the field of foreign policy, we proposeto stand together with the United Nations not for the war alone but for the victoryfor which the war is fought”.

He went on: “The firm foundation can be built- and itwill be built. But the continuance and assurance of a livingpeace must, in the long run, be the work of the people themselves.”

Today,
we have to ask ourselves, are we livingup to that mission? They gave us that start. What have we done with it? It is clear to me that we have made huge strides. But our agreements and institutions are onlyas strong as our will to uphold them today.

And if we do not, for whatever reason, we bequeath a darker and more unstable world to all those who come after us. It is not for this that previous generations shed blood and worked so hard on behalf of all of us. The memory of those who came before us holds us true to our ideals.

 Resting unchanging in time, they remind us of who we are and what we stand for. They give us hope to stay in the fight, as Sergio did, until his last breath.

14 years since his death, there is a stronger need than ever before for us to stay true to the ideals and purposes of the United Nations.

 That is what I hope his memory holds us to today. We can’t all be Sergio's. But I hope all of us can determine that we shall be a generation that renews its commitment to

 “unite our strength to maintain international peace and security”, and 

“to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.”

 But in the final analysis, even if we do not,even if that level of vision eludes us and we continue to simply manage rather than totry to overcome our generation’s challenges, we have to keep working determinedly and patiently. 

And you can be certain, as you do, that youfollow the example of one of the UN’s finest sons: and that to do even a little of hisgood, to apply ourselves to the work he left unfinished, in whatever way we can, is a worthytask for any one of us. Thank you

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