Speeches

Opening Remarks by Public Affairs Officer, Victoria DeLong

Conference on Non-Violence
in Collaboration with the Municipality of Port Louis, Mauritius Council of Social Service (MACOSS) and the International Sufi School (ISS)

Municipal Council, Port Louis,
Thursday, February 16, 2006

Lord Mayor of Port Louis, Honorable Reza Issack
Mr. Dana Chengan, Chairman of MACOSS
Mr. Ram Nookadee, Executive Secretary of MACOSS
Mrs. Allia Syed Hossen Gooljar, Director of the International Sufi School
Invited Guests
Students and Teachers

It’s a pleasure to be here today.  I’d like to thank Mr. Ram Nookadee, Executive Secretary of the Mauritius Council of Social Service and Mrs. Allia Syed Hossen Gooljar, Director of the International Sufi School for organizing this conference.  Thank you to the Lord Mayor and his office for their assistance and support in facilitating today’s conference. 

The people of the United States of America are celebrating National African American History Month.  As Americans celebrate this month, we recognize the many contributions of African Americans to our country and reinforce our commitment to be a Nation of opportunity and hope for every citizen.  As we recognize the many contributions that African Americans have contributed to the United States one person in particular stands out for his ideas and philosophy. 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man who led the civil rights movement in the United States and advocated non-violent action as a means to overcome racism in America.  Dr. King believed that all people are created equal. He dedicated his life to empowering people, no matter their circumstances, and challenged them to lift up their neighbors and communities.  He broke down barriers within our society by encouraging Americans to look past their differences and refused to rest until the United States fulfilled its pledge of liberty and justice for all its citizens. 

Dr. King had a vision for an empowered and a nonviolent world.  Today’s conference is about  “NonViolence A Way of Life.”  Nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities.  Nonviolence is a choice and an action that you can decide to take in your daily lives.  In the words of Dr. King, “The nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor.  It first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it.  It gives them new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage they did not know they had.”

When you leave here today, I hope that you walk away remembering that you as an individual can choose to live your life through the active practice of nonviolence principles, and that you have the ability to make nonviolent choices and actions. 

Thank you.