Quote collection
284 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"The struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity. It is a struggle that encompasses our political, social and economic aspirations."
"If you want democracy, you have got to be prepared to accept the responsibilities of democracy. The people have to take part. They have to understand that they have the power to move things, and they must really commit themselves to change if they want it."
"My top priority is for people to understand that they have the power to change things themselves."
"Early childhood development has proved to be very beneficial and very cost-effective in societies where this is been tried. So let's not confine ourselves to primary education. Let's think of early childhood development and education as a whole."
"Fear is a habit; I am not afraid."
"What does Burma have to give the United States? We can give you the opportunity to engage with people who are ready and willing to change a society."
"How can you call it a sacrifice when you choose to do something because you believe in it?"
"The quintessential revolution is that of the spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in those mental attitudes and values which shape the course of a nation's development. A revolution which aims merely at changing official policies and institutions with a view to an improvement in material conditions has little chance of genuine success. Without a revolution of the spirit, the forces which produced the iniquities of the old order would continue to be operative, posing a constant threat to the process of reform and regeneration."
"People ask me about what sacrifices I've made. I always answer: I've made no sacrifices, I've made choices."
"There is a special charm to journeys undertaken before daybreak in hot lands: the air is soft and cool and the coming of dawn reveals a landscape fresh from the night dew."
"We want to empower our people; we want to strengthen them; we want to provide them with the kind of qualifications that will enable them to build up their own country themselves."
"I think sometimes if you are alone, you are freer because your time is your own."
"Regimented minds cannot grasp the concept of confrontation as an open exchange of major differences with a view to settlement through genuine dialogue."
"The peace of our world is indivisible. As long as negative forces are getting the better of positive forces anywhere, we are all at risk."
"The value systems of those with access to power and of those far removed from such access cannot be the same. The viewpoint of the privileged is unlike that of the underprivileged."
"It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man."
"With the right kind of institutions, starting with the rule of law, Burma could progress very quickly."
"If you're feeling helpless, help someone."
"One should mature over 20 years."
"I've always tried to explain democracy is not perfect. But it gives you a chance to shape your own destiny."