"We Will Ensure Every Citizen of Every Religion Has an Equal Place"
On Friday, April 10, 2015, India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, visited UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, making his first visit to Europe, during the institution’s 70th anniversary year. He was welcomed by Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General. Bokova and Modi both openly shared their vision of peace and development.
While Bokova praised Modi for his forward thinking, expressing her admiration for India’s contribution to UNESCO’s mandate of peace and dignity (India’s push on education and technology, for example), Prime Minister Modi honoured the organization's contribution to developing countries and its focus on cultural heritage.
In a packed venue, Modi addressed representatives of 195 countries to celebrate the organization’s 70 successful years. After his formal introduction, he went on to say, “Our collective goal is to seek a peaceful and prosperous future for our world, in which every nation has a voice; all peoples have an identity; all cultures are flowers in a garden; every human being has a life of dignity; every child a future of opportunity; and our planet the chance to preserve its glory.”
Giving UNESCO great props, Modi publicly declared that no other organization had served the cause better than UNESCO. He stated that UNESCO was one of the first United Nation missions and that India values UNESCO's work and “cherishes our partnership so immensely.”
Modi reminisced over Mahatma Gandhi's message to UNESCO during the early years. The preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement had urged for action in improving education and securing lasting peace.
Modi also highlighted India’s December 2014 resolution, supported by 177 countries, to create an International Day of Yoga, expressing hope that this day would be added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to help promote the Indian tradition worldwide.
Due to the changes in the world today, Modi also stressed the need to see today’s issues through different viewpoints in hopes of instilling fresh new life into the United Nations.
To hear the speech in its entirety, watch the video below.
Feature Image Courtesy of: narendramodi.in/
Video Courtesy of: youtube.com/channel/UC1NF71EwP41VdjAU1iXdLkw
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