The World's Dream

Here's the video/text of my speech at Weber State STAND's Black Tie Banquet for Invisible Children on September 18th, 2009. Check it out eh!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTAFpUK4vak&feature=channel_page

Before we close this dinner for the night I would like to thank all the people who made this event possible. The first great donation of time, energy, and delicious food came from our hosts here at Arbat. We would like to sincerely thank you for allowing us to use your beautiful restaurant both for its symbolism and aesthetic value- we truly couldn’t have made this a successful night without you. Second, I would like to thank Stratton McCausland for his musical talents, every member of STAND who helped us get this night in order, and all the friends, family members, and fellow activists who support us unconditionally and unequivocally- your love and kindness are what have kept us going- specifically when your love and kindness gave us the last minute donations we needed to end our hunger strike earlier this month. As you can see from my already gaunt physique, you saved us all from a horrible fate. Finally I’d like to thank our guest speakers, Neil A. Hansen and Jennifer Seelig. Both of you have inspired us all with your words on activism and charity and I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we will all leave this dinner feeling more empowered of our roles in the pursuit of universal justice and equality. We thank you for help and we sincerely hope that when you admit your affiliation with us it won’t lose you any votes.

As many of you may know, this semester has already been a dream come true for Weber State STAND. Within the first month we have already lobbied Senator Bennett for human rights legislation in Uganda and the Congo, we have held a hunger strike both to raise money for Invisible Children and to create awareness of the adverse conditions the world’s refugees face daily, and of course we have put together this wonderful dinner and have thus far raised over 4000 dollars for the Invisible Children of Uganda. Our efforts and the efforts of our supporters will help these children in many ways. We will replace the guns in their hands with pencils and paper. We will remove them from the barren and isolated areas of Uganda and instead put them in schools and playgrounds. We will provide these children counseling in order to heal the hateful and monstrous ideology instilled in them by the LRA and instead substitute it with the empowerment of an adequate education. We can be certain that our efforts will change their lives.

But how will it change ours? Aside from Cameron, Dave, and Kyle it is to my knowledge that none of the other STAND members have even been to Africa to see the effect of our charitable works. We can imagine the effect our efforts will have, but we don’t always get to see exactly where the money goes, and that can bother any of us. I would go so far as to say that several of our guests tonight have at some point had some kind of skepticism towards the work of international charities, not necessarily with Weber State STAND but possibly with other organizations they have undoubtedly seen in their lives. Why should we get involved in international affairs that may never have a direct impact on our own lives?
Whenever I’m asked this question I like to reply with what I see as an undeniable maxim. I strive to help these people- people who are stricken by poverty, malnourishment, and torture of all kinds, people who live in fear of murder, rape, enslavement, and all other kinds of horrific brutality- I strive to help these people because I know that if it were me I would hope and pray that someone, anyone out there cared. As citizens of the world’s first great democracy and as citizens of an ever expanding technological world we are endowed with a unique and awesome power unparalleled in the annals of history. We have been given all the tools to have an immeasurable impact on the world around us. The forefathers of our government and the patriots who fought and died for our country gave us both the constitution and the precedent to protect and preserve what was once considered a fragile and impossible social structure. Our technology gives us the power to know- our news outlets and networking coupled with the lightning speed of information allows us to become aware of the problems in our world faster than ever before. But knowledge of the world’s problems can be disheartening and indeed can cause us to be lethargic towards these issues. But as John Prendergast, a co-founder of the Enough Project has said:

“We have no enemies here. We just have apathy and indifference to overcome.”

John of course was talking about the condition of the human rights movement in the United States. He believes, as do many of us here, that no rational person in our country can deny that the pursuit of justice worldwide is a noble cause. But he also believes that the effort which we see throughout our nation and indeed the world is only a small fraction of what could occur if indifference and apathy and powerlessness were simply put behind us. We do have the power and we do have the tools to bring criminals like Joseph Kony to justice and to reunite the abducted children with their mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, and we do have the power to ensure that their lives and the lives of their children are better than the lives of those who preceded them. This goal is commonly called the American dream- but the dream to better oneself and the lives of others did not begin in America and it should not be held solely within our borders. This dream is the world’s dream, and we are part of the effort to make this dream a reality.