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.
Thank you, David and thank you everyone forinviting me here. This is a huge privilege, not because I’mthe chief guest. I think it’s a privilege mainly becauseI’m one of the parents who have had the opportunity. And I’ll take this opportunity on behalfof all of you to put my hands together and thank Dhirubhai Ambani International Schoolfor doing what they’re doing to our children.
So, I want to thank all the teachers, allthe heads of departments, Zarine and Fareeda, I mean, you’re the people I used to cometo, when I have trouble I come and look at your faces and go away, and I’m calm; everythingwill be sorted out. Kava sir was fantastic at cricket matchesand shouts louder than anyone else in the world can, all the staff members, the management,the gentleman who man the security outside; so wonderful and so even the guy who doesthe parking back there, everyone for the last 13 to 14 years that I have been here. And especially my friend, Mrs. Nita Ambani. Thank you so much for looking after our children.
Thank you very very much. Ok, so good evening boys and girls. Exams are over, if I may say so, darn schoolis over, which seemed an impossibility just a few years back. That horrible math or physics, or whoeveryour least favorite teacher is, you will never have to see again.
That PE coach who was all about to get youis done and dusted now. I know everybody is looking there! You want to party now, relax, hang out withthe beautiful friends you’ve made in the last 13 years, 14 or some, less. The last thing you really want to do is sithere and listen to someone give you advice on life lessons and what the future holdsfor you. And to top it, my qualification to be doingthis is zilch, nada, not at all, nothing.
Really, apart from the fact that Nita andI are friends and thus, I have some benefits. My reason to be here is the same as that ofyour elder brother or your sister being allowed to do things that you’re not allowed todo at home. I’m like them, older! That’s all. So if you think that I have had a successfulcareer, as I was getting very embarrassed when David was recounting because also it’sbeen so many years since I’ve got an award. Got to work harder! Also if you think I’ve had a successfulcareer, a great past performance and my experiences of it; are no assurance that it will workin the future for you, or work for you at all. And anyway, none of what I say today, youwill remember as soon as you’re out of here or maybe even earlier, because you’re stillsleeping from the big party you guys had last night.
What I say may make sense to your mom or dad,who will remember It some years down the line, and they will also remember it for the inappropriatethings that I’m going to say tonight. But you are here, and so am I, so I promiseto keep this extremely crisp and sharp, about twenty minutes tops.
But be rest assured, I understand if someof you walk out in the middle of my speech for bladder control reasons. Feel free to do that. Feel free, because that’s what essentiallymy talk is about; feeling free. The freedom to be yourself, to listen to yourinner voice, and never let anyone tell you who you are, who you ought to be, includingme. These are the only years of your life in whichwill be allowed to make regret-free mistakes. As you do so, you will chance upon your dreams. And hopefully make a happy life out of theirfulfillment. When you get to be 50, as some of your parentsare, none of the mothers, they all look 35. They’re all looking extremely hot.
Some of your parents are, and like I am. You will know that the bulk of your regretsare from not having done what you wished to do. So don’t hold it against your over diligentfather who’s telling you to study extra, even post the exams, your annoying mother,who is still depressed that your handwriting is bad. You know she doesn’t understand if it wasbad five years ago, chances are that your handwriting is not going to improve for therest of your life, ever! Mam, get that clear, it’s not going to happen.
But, let me assure you, squiggles and antsand mosquitos on paper won’t kill your career. Any doctor here will tell you, indecipherablehieroglyphics may actually be a career booster. Don’t be angry that your parents tell youthat friend of yours is not good company, he is spoiling you. And please don’t hold it against them whenthey tell you he’s a movie star son and will become a hero what about you? Let me assure you, movie stars’ sons anddaughters also have to work. Basically just don’t grudge the old manand the old bag, ever.
All we parents try to do is to make you happywith your choices, by annoying you with ours, that are actually your choices anyway, butyou just don’t know it yet. Your hormone levels are too high for you tounderstand this confusing logic. All you want to be is yourselves and you’requite sure you know what that is. And I’m here tonight on your side only toconfirm your convictions, as you set forth into the big bad world, from the loving shelterof Mrs. Nita Ambani and all these wonderful and beautiful and warm teachers and facultywho have nurtured you to embark on your own journey through life.
I was talking about parents, because I thinktonight is about parents so I’m going to tell you something about my parents. My mother was top class, she was really cool,she loved me and cared unconditionally, was beautiful like all mothers and believed thatI will be the most famous man in the world, and I could do no wrong. In Delhi they say, “Humaara bachha na, isthe apple of my eye”. Some Punjabi ladies make it bigger, like,“the pineapple of my eye”. So I was the pineapple of my mother’s eye. My father was a gentle man, he was very educated,Masters in Law; extremely intelligent, knew seven languages, had traveled the world, knewhis politics, fought for the freedom of our country, India, and excelled at sports likehockey, swimming and polo.
He could cook and recite poems and knew thecapital of every country in the world. My father was also very poor, he was unemployedand struggling to make ends meet for 15 years of my life, that I had the privilege of knowinghim. From when I was 10 to when I was 15. Not being able to afford fancy gifts for me,he would wrap up something old that belonged to him, in newspapers and declare it as abirthday gift when my birthday came along. In the next eleven and a half minutes left,that I have, is the story of the five gifts my father gave me and how they helped me becomewhat I am today. When I was ten my father gave me an old chessset. Chess is a reflection of life, they say, andas cliched as it sounds, it’s probably true.
The first thing it teaches you is that everymove has a consequence, whether you perceive that it does or does not, nothing you do,not a single moment is empty of living. So think of things through, not always, butoften enough. Often enough, so your life does not feel asblack and white and as uniform as the squares on a chessboard. Sometimes in order to move forward you mightneed to take a few steps back and there’s no loss in doing something that hurts in theshort run but proves worthwhile and time. Sometimes the Queen might seem sexier, theyalways do, but if she gets taken by an advisory straight after you save her, then you mightbe better off saving your castle or the bald Bishop, instead. So don’t always choose that which seemsmore desirable, if something tells you that it is going to get you into a whole lot oftrouble.
What I mean is also about tonight, drive homewhile your wits are about, instead of staying and getting stoned senseless after the partyhere. You can’t get anywhere in chess, if youdon’t look out for the little ones around you, the small pawns. Life is like that too, if you forget the smallestof your people, or become foolish enough to imagine that the little grades you are givenare of no value, you end up nowhere. When you look around, you learn to noticeall the tiny little things that make your existence privileged and special. Just the fact that you are here, in this verymoment, at this fantastic school in the company of such adoring parents, is the product ofimmense love, hard work and sacrifice on the part of many people present here.
Taking your blessings for granted is the mostungracious stupidity, both in chess and in life. Then, there’s what they call, don’t knowhow to pronounce it, but sounds very cool, the zugzwang (German for “compulsion tomove”) the zugzwang is a really cool word, it sounds like a Chinese aphrodisiac, butit actually is German for, ok I will tone this down, “Oh! Fish I got to get out of here”. Anyway, for those of you who have never playedthe game, it’s when you get so stuck, that whichever move you make is a bad move. It will happen to each and everyone of you,at some point in your lives. For sure, a moment will come when it willlook like there isn’t anything going right and nothing you can do to prevent disaster. Ask me, I just finished Dilwale and followedit up with fan! So, when you are in zugzwang, kids, don’tpanic. Whenever there is trouble and you know thereis no way out, or disaster, don’t panic. With a little embarrassment you will surviveit.
Trust me all you have to do is make a move. All you have to do is move on a bit. As the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderlandsaid, when Alice came to the fork in the road, “If you don’t know where you’re goingit doesn’t matter which road you take”. I will add to it, as long as you take oneroad and don’t keep standing in the middle of the fork until a truck runs you over. Often in zugzwang, your enemy wins that particularmove, but mostly you end up winning the game.
There were no computers when I was a kid,and nor were there i-phones for us to google pornography on, while our parents were busychecking the selfie, likes on Instagram. One of the most precious gifts my father gaveme was an Italian typewriter. I learned how to use it from him, how to rollpaper into the roller and press the lever. I don’t know if you guys have seen a typewriter. It’s…Google it. I’d hear the clicking sound of the lettersas I pressed them with my fingers, forming words on blank pages fascinated me. To use a typewriter well, you needed diligence;one wrong letter and the whole exercise had to be started all over again. We used something called typeX to erase ourmistakes in those days, not to sniff out during math classes.
But too much typesX in math classes or intypewriting is unacceptable. So we had to learn how to move your fingersaccurately to make words out of thoughts with efficiency and do it over and over again tillwe got it just right. As an adult I have come to understand thatthere is nothing of more value, than your capacity for diligence and your ability towork hard. If you can outwork adversaries and your employees,you can ensure your own success.
And whatever it is you choose to do, whateveryou’re doing, do it once then do it one more time, even more carefully. Practice will make everything seem easier. Be diligent, be thorough. Think of every job you do as the first one,so you have to get it right or you won’t be able to impress everyone. And at the same time do it as your last jobas if you will not get a chance to do it again ever. Don’t just workout, outwork yourself. Only parents clapping! In fact you can outwork yourself, if you cannotwork yourself, then pretty much nothing can prevent you from learning.
My father gave me a camera, and the most beautifulthing about it was that it did not work. I learned that things don’t always haveto be functional, to fulfill a need, that sometimes when things are broken, the greatestcreativity emanates from the fragments. I found myself looking at my world magicallythrough the unusable lens. And the fact that there was never any actualphotograph to see, taught me my most important lesson yet; that creativity is a process ofthe soul. It does not need an outcome or a product forthe world to accept. It needs only the truth of its own expression. It comes from within. And makes of your world, whatever you wishit to make.
So don’t be afraid of your own creativity. Honor it. It doesn’t always have to be seen or approvedby those around you. It is an expression of your deepest selvesand it belongs as much to you as it does to the universe. That nurtures and inspires it. All creativity is not for everyone to likeor understand. All art is not up for sale. Some creativity has a bigger role to play. It is to keep you company when you’re alone,when you need a friend, when the world doesn’t seem to understand you. Your creativity, whatever that may be, youknow, I know a friend of mine who makes a dolls out of barf bags from airplanes. Whatever your creativity is, your creativewill be the only thing that will keep you inspired and satisfied. Honour it to the end, whatever it may be. Mine is poetry.
I write rubbish poetry. it’s so bad that sometimes I cringe to readit myself. it’s crap, but I write it, it’s my secretplace. It is mine to make me feel free and happy. So you find yours and if the world loves itgood, if it doesn’t, even better, because now you will truly have a friend to keep yourcreativity intact. My father was a funny guy. He had the capacity to turn any kind of serioussituation in a way that it seemed less stress filled, with a bit of humor. Without a sense of humor the world will alwaysbe a dull and greedy place. No darkness of despair should ever be beyonda good and a hearty laugh. I’m going to tell you a few incidents, ifyou’re not bored! I have got about seven and a half minutesleft. We used to live on the third floor of an apartmentbuilding, and as people on third floor tend to do, my friends and I used to throw thingsdown from the balcony; you know, wrappers, tit bits, dog shit wrapped in newspapers,the usual stuff. One day the old gentleman on the ground floor,for there’s always an old senile gentleman on the ground floor.
He had had enough of our daily droppings. He charged at us yelling at the top of hisvoice “bhaisahaab, bhaisahaab, upar se cheezen neeche aati hai, upar se ceezen neeche aatihai” and you know the whole colony emerged to witness the spectacle. My father was there. I was mortified. And he kept screaming, “Upar se cheezenneeche aati hai“. My father calmly looked calmly at him andsaid, “Chacha ji, upar se cheezen neeche aati hain, ye Newton ne boht saalon pehlebataya tha. Aap koie nayi baat batao. Andar baith ke, chai peeke baat krte hai”,and it instantly diffused the situation. The old man smiled, went into the apartment,worked out how dog shit needs to be disposed of properly, over a cup of tea in life wasback to normal again.
And there was another incident I’m goingto relate. I had been eyeing this attractive, dusky girlwho lived in our building. As smooth as I have always been with ladies,for some reason, it occurred to me that if I blew up her letter box with a Diwali crackercalled, atom bomb, she’d be very impressed with me. I’ve always been good with girls like that,ya. I know things about girls. In this insanely romantic belief of mine,her letterbox soon exploded before her eyes.
And I still don’t know why the desired effectof her running into my arms in slow-motion was replaced with a screaming drama in whichhe flew up the stairs screaming, “amma inge vaa, amma inge vaa”. I took my chance and as all macho men shoulddo, I fled the scene. Few hours later the doorbell rang. I looked through the magic eye and the motherof the love of my life was standing outside looking incensed. I found a place to hide. My father opened the door. The lady began to rattle off a complaint;your son this, your son that (speaks in Tamil), my Tamil is not good! And he listened patiently and then responded,“You know ma’am, as you were speaking, I was getting angry with my son. But then I suddenly realized how beautifulyou are.
And I can imagine if your daughter looks anythinglike you, how can my son be blamed for falling in love with her and behaving so stupidly?” The lady went silent as my father continuedtelling her how beautiful she was, and then she became a little quiet. Another cup of tea was had and she said tome sweetly, “Beta, just because my daughter is so beautiful you shouldn’t behave badlywith her. You should come home, sit with us, and befriends”. So not only did my dad get me off the hook,for blowing up the girls letter box, he actually got me in-roads to a long satisfying relationshipwith the love of her life that lasted six days. Because then I realize that dating beautifulgirls has its downside. Every boy in the colony made advances at her.
So I was regularly beaten up in my attemptsto offer her some boy friendly protection. But that’s another story. The point being, learn to laugh at yourselves,every chance you get. If you can manage not to take yourself tooseriously, no matter how big a shot you become or how lowly, useless, trivial you feel, youwill instantly disarm life’s power to beat you down. It makes you braver to face ugliness, becauseit changes your perspective. Humor is actually the deftness to see theworld, the reality, for the transient farce it really is. It’s like a talisman for survival. Cultivate it and allow it to lighten everyheavy moment. Wear it like a vulgar tattoo, if you don’talready have one. Don’t ever let it get washed away in theturbulently beautiful seas of life. It’s your ticket to staying young and childlikeforever. And you will realize why it matters to staychildlike when you’re my age. And you’ll watch this speech on YouTubewith your children.
I’ll probably have kicked the bucket bythen, having smoked enough cigarettes to light up a forest. But I certainly hope that you will have understoodwhat I understand now. No, not that smoking kills, but that partis ok. Well, what I am referring to is, what countsas the most beautiful and final gift that my father gave me. I only realized it was a gift on the day hedied, when I was 15 years old. A gift your parents have given to you already. Yes, the singularly most exquisite gift, youand I have been given is the gift of life itself. There is nothing that marks a man or a womanout from the ordinary, more perfectly than grace. Grace is the consciousness, that life is biggerthan we are and therefore gratitude for it must match its vastness.
It is the understanding, that everyone weencounter, whether they are loving towards us, or offensively abrasive, is a human likewe are. It is knowing that experiences shape humanbeings and no matter how good we are at something, or successful we may become, we are neverbetter than the other person. If you can live your life with grace towardsthose around you, you’ll accomplish more than you could if you became the presidentof America. That came out wrong, knowing that Donald Trumpis so close to becoming the president of America! I didn’t mean that I’ll rephrase thatguys. If you can live your life with grace towardsthose around you, “ok actually what the hell”, because I came and told you a secretthat I like rubbish poetry I am going to read out a poem and end this. This this is the most rubbish poem you willhear. But keep it in the heart because I’m thedamned chief guest tonight. If you’re after part, EDM. I thought it would be very cool if I use theword EDM. Is EDM still cool? Class of 2016 is it cool? No? Okay. “If you’re after party EDM, stoned sunrisehas found you, with dark ship, wrappings, and friends thatwill not confound you. And you start on this journey with a braveheart about you, If you live life at grace towards those aroundyou.
You’ll get where you have to and it won’tastound you. If it isn’t Ferraris and a white house thatdowned you, You won’t need an entourage to always surroundyou. It’s your truth, you will have, that willshelter and ground you, And you remember this day, as the day thatunbound you. From the walls of this beautiful school, andthe teachers, Exams and all the rules that sometimes seemto hound you, and let me tell you, All will be successful let me remound you.” So boys and girls, go forth, be free, havefun, make wrong choices, make mistakes. You will still succeed because the gift ofeducation you have from this wonderful institution called Dhirubhai Ambani International School. The love meter has given you, and the genesthat your parents have provided you with, will always look after you. And when you succeed don’t forget to thankyour least favorite teacher, because he or she actually cared for you the most. Love you all and be happy.
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.
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
Good morning to the Class of 2018, the facility,the parents, the grandparents, fellow honorees, and the paid laughers I have scattered through out the audience. It is an honor to join you this morning for this special occasion.
It is also an honor to speak to you today from behind this gigantic tree stump. Like some sort of female Lorax with an advanced degree That’s right, you guys; I’m hitting Dr.Seuss hard and early in this speech. Because Dartmouth grads have a privilege uniqueamong all the Ivy League: We will be forced to be mini-experts on Dr. Seuss for our entirelives. On my deathbed, I’ll be saying,
“Did youknow that his real name was Theodor Geisel? Did you know he was editor of the DartmouthJack-O-Lantern?”
And yes, while no U.S. Presidents have goneto Dartmouth, we can at least lay claim for the wonderful Dr. Seuss.
Another notable alumnus is Salmon P. Chase,the man on the $10,000 bill. A symbolically powerful piece of paper that’slargely useless in the real world. Like a degree in playwriting which I receivedfrom this very institution. Thank you for paying for that, Mom and Dad! It’s a thrill to be back here in New Hampshire,the Granite State, known for two things: the place where you can legally not wear yourseatbelt, and Adam Sandler’s birthplace. New Hampshire has one of the best mottos ofany state: “Live Free or Die.” For outsiders, it sounds like an excitingdeclaration of freedom; but when you’re here in January, “die” actually soundslike a pretty good option. I remember the days when it was so cold yoursneeze would become an ice sculpture before it hit the ground. In Los Angeles, where I live now, if I sneeze,I just call my doctor and have my blood replaced with that of a teenage track star. That’s normal there. I’m mostly track star right now. Before I get any further, I should actuallyprobably clarify who I am for the parents and grandparents in the audience who are thinkingto themselves,
“Who is this loud Indian woman? Is that the girl from Quantico? She looks so much worse in person.”
No, no, I’m not Priyanka Chopra, not even Padma Lakshmi. I’m the other Indian woman we have allowedto be on television, Mindy Kaling. Thank you, thank you. You may remember me from my role on The Officeas Kelly Kapoor, who internet commenters said was—quote—“shrill” and—quote—“tookup valuable time that could have gone to Steve Carell.” I then created and starred in my own TV show,The Mindy Project. Thank you, thank you very much. It was an uphill battle to get the show onthe air, but it was worth it, because it enabled me to become Dartmouth’s most successfulfemale minority show creator who has spoken at commencement! Oh wait, no. Shonda Rhimes went here. Yup, and she’s created like 10 more showsthan me, so great. No, cool. Cool, cool, cool, Shonda. Friggin’ role model, good for you. But today is not about famous alumni. No, no. It’s about the men and women who have toiledin obscurity for years so that they might better our country. I speak, of course, of the 51 percent of Dartmouthgrads who will go into finance—highest in the Ivy League! Look left. Look right. All three of you will be spending at leastten years in a white collar prison. I know that going into the real world soundsscary, but it’s exciting too. Finally, you’ll be in control of your ownlives. No longer will there be an irrational Boardof Trustees telling you you can’t have hard liquor on campus, for the ridiculous reasonthat they don’t want you to die. Come tomorrow, no one can stop you from fillingyour apartment with $4.99 handles of Uncle Satan’s Unfiltered Potato Vodka. Go crazy. It’s a real moment of reflection for meto be standing here speaking to all of you now, because it makes me harken back to myown time at my Dartmouth graduation. Madeleine Albright was my commencement speaker;and while I don’t remember any specific quotes she said, or even a general gist ofwhat she was talking about, I do remember thinking: “I wonder what it will be liketo have my own cell phone?” How things have changed. For all I know, at this very moment, mostof you are posting this speech on your Instagram stories with a GIF of Winnie the Pooh twerking. If you are, please at least use my officialhashtag, MindyGoesBigGreenTwentyEighteen. Thank you. I bet none of you remember a time before theinternet. Hell, you probably don’t even remember atime before the Facebook page, “Dartmouth Memes for Cold AF Teens.” Yeah, yeah. I know about that. Made me feel like a real creep researchingit. “Hello, I’m a 38‑year‑old woman whowants to join your teen Facebook group. It's for research, I swear!” Meanwhile, when I was in college we didn’teven have Google. If you wanted to find out, say, how tall BenAffleck was, you were out of luck. You just had to sit there, not knowing, andyour entire day would be ruined. Or, say I wanted to meet up with a friend—Icouldn’t just text her. I had to walk outside and hope I accidentallybumped into her. Or, I “blitzed” her. Ah, BlitzMail. You know that feeling you have when you tellyour friends that you “blitz” and they don’t get it and you roll your eyes allsmug like “Oh, it’s a Dartmouth thing.” That ends today. You try to say “blitz” one hundred yardseast of White River Junction and you will get laughed back to your one-room triple inthe Choates. Fun fact: In 2001, the year I graduated, apinkeye epidemic broke out amongst my classmates because we were all using public BlitzMailiMac terminals and not washing our hands. Those are just the kind of the sexy storiesindicative of my time at Dartmouth. You have so many cool new things here now. Like, look at the new logo, the D-Pine. It’s beautiful. It reminds me of what college-aged Mindy thoughta marijuana leaf might look like but I was too scared to actually find out. And this new House System sounds really cool! It's so Hogwarts-y! You know, you're sorted into your little Gryffindorsand Ravenclaws, except they’re called … South House. West House. School House. Okay, come on guys. School House? Really? We’re just saying what we see? That’s the laziest name I’ve ever heardin my life, and I've spent over a decade working on shows called The Office and The Mindy Project. Still, I remember sitting where you’re sitting. I was so full of questions like, “When isthis thing going to end?” and “How many friends can I invite to dinner and still havemom and dad pay?” And, most importantly, “Why didn’t I wearany clothes underneath my gown?” Now we’re reaching the part of the speechwhere I am supposed to tell you something uplifting like “follow your dreams.” In general, advice isn’t actually an effectiveway to change your life. If all it took to make your life great washearing amazing advice, then everyone who watched TED Talks would be a millionaire. So don’t trust any one story of how howto become successful. As Madeline Albright said at my Commencement—see,I don’t remember anything. And I did just fine. So here is some practical advice that youmay or may not remember at the end of this speech because, hey, that’s the gig: 1. First off, remove “Proficient at Word”from your resume. That is ridiculous. You’re really scraping the bottom of thebarrel of competency there. This is how you become proficient at Word:You open Word on your computer. 2. Most of your post-college life is simply fillingout forms. Car insurance, health insurance, W-2s. W-4s, 1099s. Guess what? None of us know what any of those forms mean,but you will fill out a hundred of them before you die. 3. You never need more than one pancake. Trust me on this. Cartoons have trained us to want a giant stackof those bad boys, but order one first and then just see how you feel later. 4. This one is just for guys: When you go ondates, act as if every woman you’re talking to is a reporter for an online publicationthat you are scared of. One shouldn’t need the threat of publicexposure and scorn to treat women well; but if that’s what it’s gonna take, fine. Date like everyone’s watching, because weare. 5. And this might be the most important—buya toilet plunger. Trust me on this. Don’t wait until you need a plunger to buya plunger. Commencement is a time of transition for parents,too. That empty nest you were enjoying these pastfour years? Gone as soon as this speech is over. I hope you like full‑time lodgers who don’tpay rent, don’t do laundry, eat all the food in your fridge, and binge Family Guyon your sofa for weeks. That is your life now. Although some of your graduates will be makingmore money than you—51% to be exact. And to the parents of those investment bankers,consultants, and hedge fund analysts—congratulations. Your kids will be fabulously wealthy but stillsomehow sharing your cell phone plan because it—quote—“saves everybody money.” Okay, now let’s get real. Let me rip off the Band-Aid for all you, the’18s. Next year, the next year of your life is goingto be bad. You have been in the comfortable fleece-linedwomb of mother Dartmouth for four years now, and you’re gonna go out in the cold, hardworld. Out there in the real world, there will bea target on your back. People will want to confirm their expectationsof Ivy League graduates—that you’re a jerk, that you’re spoiled, that you usethe word “summer” as a verb. Those stereotypes exist for a reason. I mean come on, the guy from the ten-thousand-dollarbill went to this school. You’re graduating into a world where itseems like everything is falling apart. Trust in institutions are at a record low;the truth doesn’t seem to matter anymore; and for all I know, the president just tweetedus into a war with Wakanda, a country that doesn’t exist. So, Class of 2018, you are entering a worldthat we have toppled—we have toppled—like a Jenga tower, and we are relying on you torebuild it. But how can you do that with the knowledgethat things are so unstable out there? I’ll tell you my secret, the one thing thathas kept me going through the years, my superpower: delusion. This is something I may share with our president,a fact that is both horrifying and interesting. Two years in, I think we can pretty safelysay that he’s not getting carved onto Mount Rushmore; but damn if that isn’t a testamentto how far you can get just by believing you’re the smartest, most successful person in theworld. My point is, you have to have insane confidencein yourself, even if it’s not real. You need to be your own cheerleader now, becausethere isn’t a room full of people waiting with pom‑poms to tell you, “You did it! We’ve been waiting all this time for youto succeed!” So, I’m giving you permission to root foryourself. And while you’re at it, root for those aroundyou, too. It took me a long time to realize that successisn’t a zero-sum game. Which leads me to the next part of my remarks. I thought I might take a second to speak tothe ladies in the audience. (Guys, take a break; you don’t have to payattention during this part. Maybe spend the next 30 seconds thinking aboutall the extra money you’ll make in your life for doing the same job as a woman. Pretty sweet.) Hey girls, we need to do a better job of supportingeach other. I know that I am guilty of it too. We live in a world where it seems like there’sonly room for one of us at the table. So when another woman shows up, we think,“Oh my god, she’s going to take the one woman spot! That was supposed to be mine!” But that’s just what certain people wantus to do! Wouldn’t it be better if we worked togetherto dismantle a system that makes us feel like there’s limited room for us? Because when women work together, we can accomplishanything. Even stealing the world’s most expensivediamond necklace from the Met Gala, like in Ocean’s 8, a movie starring me, which opensin theaters June 8th. And to that end, women, don’t be ashamedto toot your own horn like I just did. Okay, guys, you can listen again. You didn’t miss much. Just remember to see Ocean’s 8, now playingin theaters nationwide. Ocean’s 8: Every con has its pros. Now I wanted to share a little bit about me,Mindy Kaling, the Dartmouth student. When I came to Hanover in the fall of 1997,I was, as many of you were: driven, bright, ambitious, and really, really into The BlackEyed Peas. I arrived here as a 17-year-old, took thelay of the land, and immediately began making a checklist of everything I wanted to accomplish. I told myself that by the time I graduatedin 2001, I would have checked them all off. And here was my freshman fall checklist: beon Hanover crew, on Lodge crew, be in an a cappella group, be in an improv troupe, writea play that’s performed at the Bentley, do a cartoon for the D, and try to be in acool senior society. And guess what? I completed that checklist. But before you think: “Wait, why is thiswoman just bragging about her accomplishments from 17 years ago?”—keep listening. Then, I graduated. And I made a new checklist for my twenties:get married by 27, have kids at 30, win an Oscar, be the star of my own TV show, hostthe MTV Music Awards (this was 2001, guys; it made more sense then), and do it all whilebeing a size 2. Well, spoiler alert: I’ve only done oneof those things, and I’m not sure I will ever do the others. And that is a really scary feeling. Knowing how far that I’ve strayed from theperson that I was hoping to be when I was 21. I will tell you a personal story. After my daughter was born in December, Iremember bringing her home and being in my house with her for the first time and thinking,“Huh. According to movies and TV, this is traditionallythe time when my mother and spouse are supposed to be here, sharing this experience with me.” And I looked around, and I had neither. And for a moment, it was kind of scary. Like, “Can I do this by myself?” But then, that feeling went away, becausethe reality is, I’m not doing it by myself. I’m surrounded by family and friends wholove and support me. And the joy I feel from being with my daughterKatherine eclipses anything from any crazy checklist. So I just want to tell you guys, don’t bescared if you don’t do things in the right order, or if you don’t do some things atall. I didn’t think I’d have a child beforeI got married, but hey, it turned out that way, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I didn’t think I’d have dessert beforebreakfast today, but hey, it turned out that way and I wouldn’t change a thing. So if I could impart any advice, it’s this:If you have a checklist, good for you. Structured ambition can sometimes be motivating. But also, feel free to let it go. Yes, my culminating advice from my speechis a song from the Disney animated movie, Frozen. I’ve covered a lot of ground today, notall of it was serious, but I wanted to leave you with this: I was not someone who shouldhave the life I have now, and yet I do. I was sitting in the chair you are literallysitting in right now and I just whispered, “Why not me?” And I kept whispering it for seventeen years;and here I am, someone that this school deemed worthy enough to speak to you at your Commencement. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’tdo something, but especially not yourself. Go conquer the world. Just remember this: Why not you? You made it this far. Thank you very much, and congratulations tothe Class of 2018.
Thank you, President Cowan, Mrs. PresidentCowen; distinguished guests, undistinguished guests, you know who you are, honored facultyand creepy Spanish teacher. And thank you to all the graduating classof 2009, I realize most of you are hungover and have splitting headaches and haven’tslept since Fat Tuesday, but you can’t graduate ’til I finish, so listen up. When I was asked to make the commencementspeech, I immediately said yes. Then I went to look up what Poco X3 lite new leaks , Full specifications and many more. meantwhich would have been easy if I had a dictionary, but most of the books in our house are Portia’s,and they’re all written in Australian. So I had to break the word down myself, tofind out the meaning. Commencement: common, and cement, common cement. You commonly see cement on sidewalks. Sidewalks have cracks, and if you step ona crack, you break your mother’s back. So there’s that. But I’m honored that you’ve asked me hereto speak at your common cement. I thought that you had to be a famous alumnus,alumini, aluminum, alumis; you had to graduate from this school. And I didn’t go to college here, and I don’tknow if President Cowan knows, I didn’t go to any college at all, any college. And I’m not saying you wasted your time,or money, but look at me, I’m a huge celebrity. Although I did graduate from the school ofhard knocks, our mascot was the knockers. I spent a lot of time here growing up. My mom worked at Newcomb and I would go thereevery time I needed to steal something out of her purse. But why am I here today? Clearly not to steal, you’re too far awayand I’d never get away with it. I’m here because of you. Because I can’t think of a more tenacious,more courageous graduating class. I mean, look at you all, wearing your robes.
As a kid, I spent my summers with my grandparentson their ranch in Texas. I helped fix windmills, vaccinate cattle,and do other chores. We also watched soap operas every afternoon,especially “Days of our Lives.” My grandparents belonged to a Caravan Club,a group of Airstream trailer owners who travel together around the U.S. and Canada. And every few summers, we’d join the caravan. We’d hitch up the Airstream trailer to mygrandfather’s car, and off we’d go, in a line with 300 other Airstream adventurers. I loved and worshipped my grandparents andI really looked forward to these trips. On one particular trip, I was about 10 yearsold.
i was rolling around in the big bench seatin the back of the car. My grandfather was driving. And my grandmother had the passenger seat. She smoked throughout these trips, and I hatedthe smell. At that age, I’d take any excuse to makeestimates and do minor arithmetic. I’d calculate our gas mileage -- figureout useless statistics on things like grocery spending. I’d been hearing an ad campaign about smoking. I can’t remember the details, but basicallythe ad said, every puff of a cigarette takes some number of minutes off of your life: Ithink it might have been two minutes per puff. At any rate, I decided to do the math formy grandmother. I estimated the number of cigarettes per days,estimated the number of puffs per cigarette and so on. When I was satisfied that I’d come up witha reasonable number, I poked my head into the front of the car, tapped my grandmotheron the shoulder, and proudly proclaimed, “At two minutes per puff, you’ve taken nineyears off your life!” I have a vivid memory of what happened, andit was not what I expected. I expected to be applauded for my clevernessand arithmetic skills. “Jeff, you’re so smart. You had to have made some tricky estimates,figure out the number of minutes in a year and do some division.” That’s not what happened. Instead, my grandmother burst into tears. I sat in the backseat and did not know whatto do. While my grandmother sat crying, my grandfather,who had been driving in silence, pulled over onto the shoulder of the highway. He got out of the car and came around andopened my door and waited for me to follow. Was I in trouble? My grandfather was a highly intelligent, quietman. He had never said a harsh word to me, andmaybe this was to be the first time? Or maybe he would ask that I get back in thecar and apologize to my grandmother. I had no experience in this realm with mygrandparents and no way to gauge what the consequences might be. We stopped beside the trailer. My grandfather looked at me, and after a bitof silence, he gently and calmly said, “Jeff, one day you’ll understand that it’s harderto be kind than clever.” What I want to talk to you about today isthe difference between gifts and choices. Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy -- they’re given after all. Choices can be hard. You can seduce yourself with your gifts ifyou’re not careful, and if you do, it’ll probably be to the detriment of your choices. This is a group with many gifts. I’m sure one of your gifts is the gift ofa smart and capable brain. I’m confident that’s the case becauseadmission is competitive and if there weren’t some signs that you’re clever, the deanof admission wouldn’t have let you in. Your smarts will come in handy because youwill travel in a land of marvels. We humans -- plodding as we are -- will astonishourselves. We’ll invent ways to generate clean energyand a lot of it. Atom by atom, we’ll assemble tiny machinesthat will enter cell walls and make repairs. This month comes the extraordinary but alsoinevitable news that we’ve synthesized life. In the coming years, we’ll not only synthesizeit, but we’ll engineer it to specifications. I believe you’ll even see us understandthe human brain. Jules Verne, Mark Twain, Galileo, Newton -- allthe curious from the ages would have wanted to be alive most of all right now. As a civilization, we will have so many gifts,just as you as individuals have so many individual gifts as you sit before me. How will you use these gifts? And will you take pride in your gifts or pridein your choices? I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that Web usage wasgrowing at 2,300 percent per year. I’d never seen or heard of anything thatgrew that fast, and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles -- somethingthat simply couldn’t exist in the physical world -- was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old, and I’dbeen married for a year. I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted toquit my job and go do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t work since most startupsdon’t, and I wasn’t sure what would happen after that. MacKenzie (also a Princeton grad and sittinghere in the second row) told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I’d been a garage inventor. I’d invented an automatic gate closer outof cement-filled tires, a solar cooker that didn’t work very well out of an umbrellaand tinfoil, baking-pan alarms to entrap my siblings. I’d always wanted to be an inventor, andshe wanted me to follow my passion. I was working at a financial firm in New YorkCity with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted tostart a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park,listened carefully to me, and finally said, “That sounds like a really good idea, butit would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job.” That logic made some sense to me, and he convincedme to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficultchoice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be hauntedby a decision to not try at all. After much consideration, I took the lesssafe path to follow my passion, and I’m proud of that choice. Tomorrow, in a very real sense, your life-- the life you author from scratch on your own -- begins. How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make? Will inertia be your guide, or will you followyour passions? Will you follow dogma, or will you be original? Will you choose a life of ease, or a lifeof service and adventure? Will you wilt under criticism, or will youfollow your convictions? Will you bluff it out when you’re wrong,or will you apologize? Will you guard your heart against rejection,or will you act when you fall in love? Will you play it safe, or will you be a littlebit swashbuckling? When it’s tough, will you give up, or willyou be relentless? Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder? Will you be clever at the expense of others,or will you be kind? I will hazard a prediction. When you are 80 years old, and in a quietmoment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story,the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices youhave made. In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story. Thank you and good luck!
Last November, BTS launched the LOVE MYSELF campaign with UNICEF building on our belief that true love first begins with loving myself.
