奥巴马第16届曼德拉年度讲座演讲.docx

奥巴马第16届曼德拉年度讲座演讲.docx

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奥巴马第16届曼德拉年度讲座演讲

奥巴马第16届曼德拉年度讲座演讲

SpeechbyBarackObamaatthe16th NelsonMandelaAnnualLecture

WanderersStadium,Johannesburg,SouthAfrica

July17,2018

Thankyou.Thankyousomuch.Thankyouverymuch.Thankyou.Thankyousomuch.

Thankyou.ToMamaGraçaMachel,membersoftheMandelafamily,theMachelfamily,toPresidentRamaphosawhoyoucanseeisinspiringnewhopeinthisgreatcountry–professor,doctor,distinguishedguests,toMamaSisuluandtheSisulufamily,tothepeopleofSouthAfrica–itisasingularhonorformetobeherewithallofyouaswegathertocelebratethebirthandlifeofoneofhistory’struegiants.

Letmebeginbyacorrectionandafewconfessions.ThecorrectionisthatIamaverygooddancer.Ijustwanttobeclearaboutthat.Michelleisalittlebetter.

Theconfessions.Numberone:

Iwasnotexactlyinvitedtobehere.IwasorderedinaverynicewaytobeherebyGraçaMachel.

Confessionnumbertwo:

Iforgotmygeographyandthefactthatrightnowit’swinterinSouthAfrica.Ididn’tbringacoat,andthismorning,IhadtosendsomebodyouttothemallbecauseIamwearinglongjohns.IwasborninHawaii. IwasborninHawaii.

Confessionnumberthree:

WhenmystafftoldmethatIwastodeliveralecture,Ithoughtbacktothestuffyoldprofessorsinbowtiesandtweed,andIwonderedifthiswasonemoresignofthestageoflifethatI’mentering,alongwithgrayhairandslightlyfailingeyesight.IthoughtaboutthefactthatmydaughtersthinkanythingItellthemisalecture.IthoughtabouttheAmericanpressandhowtheyoftengotfrustratedatmylong-windedanswersatpressconferences,whenmyresponsesdidn’tconformtotwo-minutesoundbites.Butgiventhestrangeanduncertaintimesthatwearein–andtheyarestrange,andtheyareuncertain–witheachday’snewscyclesbringingmorehead-spinninganddisturbingheadlines,Ithoughtmaybeitwouldbeusefultostepbackforamomentandtrytogetsomeperspective.SoIhopeyou’llindulgeme,despitetheslightchill,asIspendmuchofthislecturereflectingonwherewe’vebeen,andhowwearrivedatthispresentmoment,inthehopethatitwillofferusaroadmapforwhereweneedtogonext.

Onehundredyearsago,MadibawasborninthevillageofM–oh,seethere,Ialwaysgetthat–IgottogetmyMs.rightwhenI’minSouthAfrica.Mvezo–Igotit.Truthfully,it’sbecauseit’ssocold,mylipsstuck.Soinhisautobiography,hedescribesahappychildhood;he’slookingaftercattle,he’splayingwiththeotherboys,eventuallyattendsaschoolwherehisteachergavehimtheEnglishnameNelson.Andasmanyofyouknow,he’squotedsaying,“Whyshebestowedthisparticularnameuponme,Ihavenoidea.”

Therewasnoreasontobelievethatayoungblackboyatthistime,inthisplace,couldinanywayalterhistory.Afterall,SouthAfricawasthenlessthanadecaderemovedfromfullBritishcontrol.Already,lawswerebeingcodifiedtoimplementracialsegregationandsubjugation,thenetworkoflawsthatwouldbeknownasapartheid.MostofAfrica,includingmyfather’shomeland,wasundercolonialrule.ThedominantEuropeanpowers,havingendedahorrificworldwarjustafewmonthsafterMadiba’sbirth,viewedthiscontinentanditspeopleprimarilyasspoilsinacontestforterritory andabundantnaturalresourcesandcheaplabor.Andtheinferiorityoftheblackrace,anindifferencetowardsblackcultureandinterestsandaspirationswasagiven.

Andsucha viewoftheworld–thatcertainraces,certainnations,certaingroupswereinherentlysuperior,andthatviolenceandcoercionistheprimarybasisforgovernance,thatthestrongnecessarilyexploittheweak,thatwealthisdeterminedprimarilybyconquest–thatviewoftheworldwashardlyconfinedtorelationsbetweenEuropeandAfrica,orrelationsbetweenwhitesandblacks.Whiteswerehappytoexploitotherwhiteswhentheycould.Andbytheway,blackswereoftenwillingtoexploitotherblacks.Andaroundtheglobe,themajorityofpeoplelivedatsubsistencelevels,withoutasayinthepoliticsoreconomicforcesthatdeterminedtheirlives.Often,theyweresubjecttothewhimsandcrueltiesofdistantleaders.Theaveragepersonsawnopossibilityofadvancingfromthecircumstancesoftheirbirth.Womenwerealmostuniformlysubordinatetomen.Privilegeandstatuswasrigidlyboundbycasteandcolorandethnicityandreligion.Andeveninmyowncountry,evenindemocraciesliketheUnitedStates,foundedonadeclarationthatallmenarecreatedequal,racialsegregationandsystemicdiscriminationwasthelawinalmosthalfthecountryandthenormthroughouttherestofthecountry.

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Thatwastheworldjust100yearsago.Therearepeoplealivetodaywhowerealiveinthatworld.Itishardthentooverstatetheremarkabletransformationsthathavetakenplacesincethattime.AsecondWorldWar,evenmoreterriblethanthefirst,alongwithacascadeofliberationmovementsfromAfricatoAsia,LatinAmerica,theMiddleEast,wouldfinallybringanendtocolonialrule.Moreandmorepeoples,havingwitnessedthehorrorsoftotalitarianism,therepeatedmassslaughtersofthe20thcentury,begantoembraceanewvisionforhumanity,anewidea–onebasednotonlyontheprincipleofnationalself-determination,butalsoontheprinciplesofdemocracyandruleoflawandcivilrightsandtheinherentdignityofeverysingleindividual.

Inthosenationswithmarket-basedeconomies,suddenly,unionmovementsdeveloped;andhealthandsafetyandcommercialregulationswereinstituted;andaccesstopubliceducationwasexpanded;andsocialwelfaresystemsemerged,allwiththeaimofconstrainingtheexcessesofcapitalismandenhancingitsabilitytoprovideopportunitynotjusttosomebuttoallpeople.Andtheresultwasunmatchedeconomicgrowthandagrowthofthemiddleclass.Andinmyowncountry,themoralforceofthecivilrightsmovementnotonlyoverthrewJimCrowlaws,butitopenedupthefloodgatesforwomenandhistoricallymarginalizedgroupstoreimaginethemselves,tofindtheirownvoices,tomaketheirownclaimstofullcitizenship.

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ItwasinserviceofthislongwalktowardsfreedomandjusticeandequalopportunitythatNelsonMandeladevotedhislife.Attheoutset,hisstrugglewasparticulartothisplace,tohishomeland–afighttoendapartheid,afighttoensurelastingpoliticalandsocialandeconomicequalityforitsdisenfranchisednon-whitecitizens.Butthroughhissacrificeandunwaveringleadershipand,perhapsmostofall,throughhismoralexample,Mandelaandthemovementheledwouldcometosignifysomethinglarger.Hecametoembodytheuniversalaspirationsofdispossessedpeopleall aroundtheworld,theirhopesforabetterlife,thepossibilityofamoraltransformationintheconductofhumanaffairs.

Madiba’slightshonesobrightly,evenfromthatnarrowRobbenIslandcell,thatinthelate‘70s,hecouldinspireayoungcollegestudentontheothersideoftheworldtoreexaminehisownpriorities,couldmakemeconsiderthesmallroleImightplayinbendingthearcoftheworldtowardsjustice.Andwhenlater,asalawstudent,IwitnessedMadibaemergefromprison,just…justafewmonths,you’llrecall,afterthefalloftheBerlinWall,Ifeltthesamewaveofhopethatwashedthroughheartsallaroundtheworld.

Yourememberthatfeeling?

Itseemedasiftheforcesofprogresswereonthemarchthattheywereinexorable.Eachstephetook,youfeltthisisthemomentwhentheoldstructuresofviolenceandrepressionandancienthatredsthathadsolongstuntedpeople’slivesandconfinedthehumanspirit–thatallthatwascrumblingbeforeoureyes.Andthen,asMadibaguidedthisnationthroughnegotiationpainstakingly,reconciliation,itsfirstfairandfreeelections;asweallwitnessedthegraceandthegenerositywithwhichheembracedformerenemies,thewisdomforhimtostepawayfrompoweroncehefelthisjobwascomplete,weunderstoodthat–weunderstooditwasnotjustthesubjugated,theoppressedwhowerebeingfreedfromtheshacklesofthepast.Thesubjugatorwasbeingofferedagift,beinggivenachancetoseeinanewway,beinggivenachancetoparticipateintheworkofbuildingabetterworld.

Andduringthelastdecadesofthe20th century,theprogressive,democraticvisionthatNelsonMandelarepresentedinmanywayssetthetermsofinternationalpoliticaldebate.Itdoesn’tmeanthatvisionwasalwaysvictorious,butitsettheterms,theparameters;itguidedhowwethoughtaboutthemeaningofprogress,anditcontinuedtopropeltheworldforward.Yes,therewerestilltragedies–bloodycivilwarsfromtheBalkanstotheCongo.Despitethefactthatethnicand…andsectarianstrifestillflaredupwithheartbreakingregularity,despiteallthatasaconsequenceofthecontinuationofnucleardétente,andapeacefulandprosperousJapan,andaunifiedEuropeanchoredinNATO,andtheentryofChinaintotheworld’ssystemoftrade–allthatgreatlyreducedtheprospectofwarbetweentheworld’sgreatpowers.AndfromEuropetoAfrica,LatinAmerica,SoutheastAsia,dictatorshipsbegantogivewaytodemocracies.Themarchwason.Arespectforhumanrightsandtheruleoflaw,enumeratedinadeclarationbytheUnitedNations,becamethe guidingnorm forthemajorityofnations,eveninplaceswheretherealityfellfarshortoftheideal,evenwhenthosehumanrightswereviolated,thosewhoviolatedhumanrightswereonthedefensive.

Andwiththesegeopoliticalchangescamesweepingeconomicchanges.Theintroductionof