Our leaders must hear us speaking on behalf of our brothers and sisters in South Sudan. If the moral duty to save lives and work toward peace is not compelling enough to drive decision-makers, we must remind them that we care and will hold them accountable.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of advocacy for those in need and the accountability of leaders to respond to humanitarian crises.
Forest Whitaker's quote highlights the crucial role of leadership in addressing humanitarian issues, particularly in South Sudan. It stresses that it is not only a moral obligation but also a responsibility for leaders to be responsive to the voices of those affected. The emphasis on speaking up indicates that public pressure can play a significant role in urging decision-makers to act on behalf of those in need, and that the collective accountability of society can drive meaningful change.
In practice
During a speech at a humanitarian conference.
As human beings, we all have reasons for our behavior. There may be people who have certain physiological issues that dictate why they make certain choices. On the whole, though, I think we're dictated by our structure, our past, our environment, our culture. So once you understand the patterns that shape a person, how can you not find sympathy?
I think that cinema and the arts are central in our lives because we grow up and learn about the world through our exposure to stories. Parents use them as a tool to teach their children fundamental truths and values, much as adults can view them to gain exposure to cultures and individuals that they'd never be able to view in their own lives.
In some sense, when you take a child soldier out of an armed group, you've taken away the identity he or she has had for years, and you can't assume life is just going to return to normal.
Cinema and the arts invite viewers to focus on a story and, in doing so, peel away its layers and peer into the depths of the human soul.
I put down the camera long ago, you know? I was here in London, aged 19, and I was obsessed with my camera, shooting everything I could. Then someone stole it. It helped me to see things for the first time.
You try to pull away the experiences until you get to the core of humanity, and you find that light that exists in everybody. It's that light that I'm searching for in all of my work - is that connective thing, that ether that enters all of us - you know what I mean? That's a part of God.
When I think of the most valuable coach, I definitely think of a coach like Geno Auriemma, and the things I learned from him that stick out in my mind are his passion for the game, competing at all the little things and doing it at a high level.
You can easily separate 'team guys' from 'me guys' by how they accept coaching. The guys that accept it are about winning
When we're trying to decide whether a leader is a good leader or a bad one, the question to ask is: 'Is he with the Ten Commandments or is he against them?' Then you can determine if the leader is a true messiah or another Stalin.
You don't hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.
I tell my staff, 'Give me your best, and then go home and live your life.' I've never asked anyone to work harder, but I've told plenty that they needed rest.
I don't have to come up with the best idea. It is my job to make sure that it is always the best idea that wins.
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