Peace
is more than just absence of war. It is rather a state in which no people of any
country, in fact no group of people of any kind live in fear or in need.
I
would like to appeal to all those in whose hands the future of mankind lies, to
use their power not to destroy or kill, nor to create suffering in a grasping
search for selfish objectives, but to help alleviate the plight of the needy;
to aim at justice and freedom for the individual.
Let
us never cease to feel compassion for those in want. Let us never tire of helping
victims of injustice and oppression. He who puts his faith in the restoration
of human dignity cannot be wrong.
There
are many challenges facing the international community today but few, in my mind,
are more pressing than those of finding humanitarian solutions to refugee problems.
We talk of regional conflicts, of economic and social crises, of political instability,
of abuses of human rights, of racism, religious intolerance, inequalities between
rich and poor, hunger, over-population, under-development and. I could go on and
on. Each and every one of these impediments to humanity’s pursuit of well-being
are also among the root causes of refugee problems.
A
lasting solution, the possibility to begin a new life, is the only dignified solution
for the refugee himself.
