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Quote by Chief Joseph

“I am ready to talk today. I have been in a great many councils, but I am no wiser. We are all sprung from a woman, although we are unlike in many things. We can not be made over again. You are as you were made, and as you were made you can remain. We are just as we were made by the Great Spirit, and you can not change us ; then why should children of one mother and one father quarrel ? — why should one try to cheat the other ? I do not believe that the Great Spirit Chief gave one kind of men the right to tell another kind of men what they must do.”

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Chief Joseph

Chief Joseph, whose real name was Hokowon, was a prominent leader of the Lakota Sioux tribe. Known for his leadership and pursuit of peace, he led the Sioux in their resistance against white settlers. During the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890, he was forced to surrender and later led his people to be relocated to Oregon. His story has become a symbol of the Lakota's struggle and assimilation into American society. more

“To understand my feelings — and my conception of the role of Secretary General — the nature of my religious and cultural background must first be understood. I should therefore like to outline not only my beliefs but also my conception of human institutions and of the human situation itself.”

Should Firsts Humans Feelings Belief Religious Situation Roles Understood Institutions Backgrounds Conception Secretary Outlines

Book:View from the UN

Source: View from the UN

“As a Buddhist, I was trained to be tolerant of everything except intolerance. I was brought up not only to develop the spirit of tolerance but also to cherish moral and spiritual qualities such as modesty, humility, compassion, and, most important, to attain a certain degree of emotional equilibrium.”