Ladies and Gentlemen,

I feel deeply honored for the opportunity to join you this Sunday morning and would like to thank you for inviting me to say a few words in this ceremony.

Less than two weeks ago, I started with my new assignment as the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations. For one year, I have been given a responsibility to serve the world and its people as a facilitator, mediator, and consensus-builder. It is a challenging task and I feel very humble in the face of haunting global problems, such as poverty, disease, discrimination, and war. In order to be better able to face my duties, I have during the past few months recalled some of my previous experiences, which I have found to be relevant for the society at large, but often within communities and families as well. I believe that global problems need a community level approach.

During times of violence and conflict, the members of a community or a family may have several types of misperceptions about one another. Trust for another person’s good intentions is lost and suspicion prevails. In cases of community violence, the origins of disagreements may be forgotten, while a conflict escalates into political, religious, social, and cultural dimensions. As the conflict becomes multidimensional, it becomes more difficult to resolve misunderstandings. In a deadlocked situation, no one is able to achieve one’s objectives, and violence breeds further violence. In the end, it is irrelevant who started, who shot first, because someone also shot back.

When the community looks for reconciliation and a peace agreement, no one should aim to take advantage of the situation by promoting unilaterally only one’s own interests. Peace negotiations are not a zero-sum game, where the winner takes all and the loser faces losing his dignity. Long-term results can be gained only, when the needs of all sides are recognized and respected on a win-win basis.

It is striking, that the collective memory of a community often carries on to the next generations, sometimes with a seed of revenge. We need to emphasize the key role of individuals to break free from the circle of hatred feelings and violence. People themselves have the responsibility to unload the package of painful memories and forgive the wrongdoings. To achieve peace, mutual trust needs to be restored. This is a time-consuming and often frustrating exercise, which requires small, gradual steps and lots of patience from both sides. The first step is to have people realize that despite their differences, they share a number of common interests. They need to “walk a mile in the other person’s boots”, empathize with the feelings and sorrows of others. It is my strong belief that in order to be able to have the courage and strength to forgive, the individuals need a community, the kind that you have here in the Saint John the Divine.

A friend of mine, who used to live in this neighborhood, has explained to me how the people in this area have tirelessly strived for reconciliation, nonviolence and community peace. In this part of New York, people greet each other on the street and look after their neighbors. This community of Saint John the Divine provides a shelter for homeless and lives up to its social responsibility across the socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural borderlines. It is remarkable that people can have solidarity towards their neighbors in a city of five million people. That example encourages me, and all of us to believe in the power of a community to remove mountains for peaceful co-existence.

Two weeks ago, in my acceptance speech, I had three themes, which I would like to mention. One is the fact that conflict prevention and correcting the root causes of social problems is immeasurably cheaper than dealing with their symptoms, such as crime, drugs, discrimination, and the breakdown of families. Another one is the importance of education for children, and especially for girls. Education is the key to development and well-being of people. Education should be a fundamental right of every child. Saving just one child for a better future is a great service not only for that child, but also for the community and society at large. Third, I am convinced that civil society, including various non-governmental and community-based organizations have an increasing role. They are able to improve the living standards and participation of ordinary people. The rest of the society should recognize these non-state actors and build partnerships with them.

In conclusion, I would now like to read to you the Peace Prayer of the Saint Francis of Assisi, a man who was born to wealth, but decided to live in poverty. After 800 years, this prayer is still valid in our lives today.

“Lord,
Make me an instrument of Thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving, that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.”