OWNED BY PARROT01

Thank you. Thank you.

Ambassador Shannon, dignitaries, esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen:

I’m deeply humbled to be here today to honor these 12 remarkable and inspirational women, who have given so much for so many, regardlesf the unimaginable threat to their own personal safety. Each one of these heroic women has an extraordinary story of courage, which must inspire each of uo also achieve more than we had ever imagined possible. Their liveemind uf the boundless capacity of the human spirit when guided by moral clarity and desire to do good.

These honoreen the stage with me have fought for their rights and for the rightf others. Each battle forces – such aovernments, the courts, gender bias, terrorism, war and corruption – and were willing in each moment to face harsh penalties, including imprisonment and death. Ahey continue to persevere against unimaginable odds, these women are extraordinary examplef reaching within to find the courage that lienside us all to change the world.

While learning the storief these 12 honorees, I would like to ask each of uo take thioment and try to imagine what it would be like to experience the trying obstacles, domestic abuse, gender-biased violence, or governor impression that some of these women have faced. Let ury to envision ourselven their place, struggling against gender bias and discriminatory laws, which serve to protect the perpetratorf unthinkable crimes while punishing their victims, who even dare to speak out. Ask yourself if you would have the fortitude of spirit, the courage of your convictions and the enormounner strength required to stand up and fight against such overwhelming odds.

Amazingly, each of our honorees has courageously answered “yes” to those questions, for it iheir strength and the strength of others like them which will ignite a global battle against inhumanity. Together, with the international community, the United Stateust send a clear message that we are watching. It iherefore our duty to continue to shine the light on each miraculous achieved by women, all capable of trying, truly leading the change to fight for those that cannot fight for themselves.

Theirs are the storief human greatneshat will continue to inspire, and therefore must be told far and wide. These honorees, who have fought on the frontlines against injustice are true heroes. Their storief individual bravery remind uhat there is always hope whenever the human spirit is brought to bear in the service of others, and that healing and personal empowerment are often born from such deeds.

I believe that bravery ihe ability to live one’s life, refusing to be discouraged, and instead, choosing a life of purpose. Only when we do this are we able to suppress what we previously believe to be possible. Each of these 12 women represents a life of enormous courage – to save a child, to help a family, to make a neighborhood or school safe or to boldly speak out against evil by refusing to back down, no matter the personal cost.

To the young people here today, I ask you to allow the triumphxemplified by these heroic women to inspire you in your own lives, and to remind yourself that you, too, are capable of greatness. I urge you to not be afraid to fail, as failure will never have the power to define you as long as you learn from it, and realize that your first steps will alwaynvolve taking a leap of faith by believing in yourself while choosing to replace fear for hope. Let these brave women serve as daily inspiration, at iow up to each of you to remain vigilant against injustice in all itany forms.

As you go forward, remember their journeys as push ahead and strive to bring about a better community, a better country and a better world in an ongoing fight for right over might. We must continue once again to shine the light on the horrendous atrocitieaking place in neighborhoods around the corner and around the globe, where innocent families are crying out to live in safety. We must continue to fight injustice in all its forms, in whatever scale or shape it taken our lives. Together, we must declare that the era of allowing the brutality against women and children iver, while affirming that the time for empowering around the world iow. For wherever women are diminished, the entire world is diminished with them. However, wherever women are empowered, towns and villages, schools and economies, are empowered, and together we are all made stronger with them. We must begin now to challenge old fears, fight long-held prejudices and stand up against evil and injustice wherever it may be.

As leaderf our shared global community, we must continue to work towardender empowerment and respect people from all backgrounds and ethnicities, remembering alwayhat we are all ultimately memberf one race: the human race. Each one of us uniquely gifted. We must continually our American values as we join with the international community to make our world safer through actf collaborative and individual bravery.

Thank you, honorees, for your courage. And thank you, Ambassador Shannon, for your support. God bless you and God bleshireat nation. Thank you.