Monday, September 24, 2007
Stephen Lewis - we could use more of you...
I attended the opening of the Mir Centre for Peace last Friday (I'm on the Community Advisory board). It was an exquisite event and the rebuilding of an Doukhabour farm house as the centre was equally exquisite.
That evening, Stephen Lewis spoke to a crowd of more than 1,000. For those who don't know, he is a former politician, Canadian Ambassador to the UN, Deputy Director of UNICEF and for some years the UN AIDS Envoy to Africa. What you also need to know is that this man is a master orator with a big heart. He was humourous, but also took us to hell and back as he described the horrors of the world (against the UN Millennium Goals). Most of the audience were moved to tears...and then grounded when Corzon, a Nelson youth choir closed the evening.
We need to look. We need to feel. We need to act. We need to reflect. We need to pull together.
That evening, Stephen Lewis spoke to a crowd of more than 1,000. For those who don't know, he is a former politician, Canadian Ambassador to the UN, Deputy Director of UNICEF and for some years the UN AIDS Envoy to Africa. What you also need to know is that this man is a master orator with a big heart. He was humourous, but also took us to hell and back as he described the horrors of the world (against the UN Millennium Goals). Most of the audience were moved to tears...and then grounded when Corzon, a Nelson youth choir closed the evening.
We need to look. We need to feel. We need to act. We need to reflect. We need to pull together.
If you have time to look at this clip, it's Lewis's final speech as UN Envoy. Start at 4:00 minutes if you don't want to hear it all.
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