Wars begin in the minds of men, and in those minds, love andcompassion would have built the defenses of peace.
U ThantRead
The war we have to wage today has only one goal, and that is to make the world safe for diversity.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of promoting diversity to ensure a safer world.
U Thant's quote reflects the necessity of advocating for diversity and inclusion as fundamental aspects of a peaceful and harmonious society. It underscores the idea that in today's world, striving for safety means embracing and protecting the varied identities, cultures, and perspectives that exist within it. This commitment to diversity is presented not just as a moral obligation but as a vital step towards conflict resolution and global harmony.
In practice
In a speech about community building, one might quote U Thant to emphasize the need for inclusive practices.
Wars begin in the minds of men, and in those minds, love andcompassion would have built the defenses of peace.
Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.
As a Buddhist, I was trained to be tolerant of everything except intolerance
As we watch the sun go down, evening after evening, through the smog across the poisoned waters of our native earth, we must ask ourselves seriously whether we really wish some future universal historian on another planet to say about us: "With all their genius and with all their skill, they ran out of foresight and air and food and water and ideas," or, They went on playing politics until their world collapsed around them.
Coraline shivered. She preferred her other mother to have a location: if she were nowhere, then she could be anywhere. And, after all, it is always easier to be afraid of something you cannot see.
PTSD occurs following a trauma that was so awful that in retrospect you don't understand how you survived. What that causes is an extreme feeling of vulnerability that you get past but that doesn't go away.
I know it's easier to portray a world filled with cynicism and anger, where problems are solved with violence...It's an easy out. What's a whole lot tougher is to offer alternatives, to present other ways conflicts can be resolved, and to show you can have a positive impact on your world. To do that, you have to put yourself out on a limb, take chances, and run the risk of being called a do-gooder.
Political tyranny is nothing compared to the social tyranny and a reformer who defies society is a more courageous man than a politician who defies Government.
Among many who sought to deter me, was one dear old Christian gentleman, whose crowning argument always was, "The cannibals! you will be eaten by cannibals!" At last I replied, "Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honouring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms."
A warrior never gives in to fear when he is searching for what he needs. Without love, he is nothing.
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