[00:13.29]I am not here as a public offcial, but as a citizen of a troubled world
[00:18.90]who finds hope in a growing consensus that the generally accepted goals of society are peace,
[00:26.18]freedom, human rights, environmental quality, the alleviation of suffering, and the rule of law.
[00:35.68]During the past decades, the international community, usually under the auspices of the United Nations,
[00:42.71]has struggled to negotiate global standards that can help us achieve these essential goals.
[00:48.76]They include: the abolition of land mines and chemical weapons; an end to the testing, proliferation,
[00:56.70]and further deployment of nuclear warheads; constraints on global warming; prohibition of the death penalty,
[01:04.53]at least for children; and an international crimial court to deter and to punish war crimes and genocide.
[01:13.34]Those agreements already adopted must be fully implemented, and others should be pursued aggressively.
[01:20.66]Despite theological differences, all great religions share common commitments that define our ideal secular relationships.
[01:30.55]I am convinced that Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews,
[01:36.45]and others can embrace each other in a common effort to alleviate human suffering and to espouse peace.
[01:44.52]At the beginning of this new millennium I was asked to discuss,
[01:48.96]here in Oslo, the greatest challenge that the world faces. Among all the possible choices,
[01:56.65]I decided that the most serious and universal problem is the growing chasm between the richest
[02:02.75]and poorest people on earth. Citizens of the ten wealthiest countries are now seventyfive times richer than those
[02:10.97]who live in the ten poorest ones, and the separation is increasing every year,
[02:16.36]not only between nations but also within them.
[02:19.98]The results of this disparity are root causes of most of the world’s unresolved problems,
[02:25.52]including starvation, illitaracy, environmental degradation, violent conflict,
[02:31.85]and unnecessary illnesses that range from Guinea worm to HIV/AIDS.
[02:37.20]But tragically, in the industrialized world there is a terrible absence of understanding or concern
[02:43.32]about those who are enduring lives of despair and hopelessness.
[02:48.28]We have not yet made the commitment to share with others an appreciable part of our excessive wealth.
[02:54.64]This is a potentially rewarding burden that we should all be willing to assume.
[03:00.48]Ladies and gentlemen,
[03:02.00]War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good.
[03:11.88]We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.
[03:17.35]The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices.
[03:24.40]God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering.
[03:30.43]We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes - and we must. Thank you.
