Stephen Hawking delivered this impactful and inspirational message at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting as part of the session on Sustainable Development: A Vision for the Future. I have heard it once before, but today it meant even more to me as the challenges that we face become ever clearer every day.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Summit takes place in New York on September 25 - 27. The focus is Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We owe it to ourselves, our children, our countries, our communities, and our planet to pay close attention.
We owe it to ourselves, our children, our countries, our communities, and our planet to pay close attention.
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Stephen Hawking's Hopes for Humanity
The reason I am talking to you today is to add my voice to those who want immediate action on the key challenges that face our global community.
I hope that in 2015 people with power can show creativity, courage, and leadership. Let them rise to the challenge of the Sustainable Development Goals and act - not out of self-interest but of common interest.
I am very aware of the preciousness of time. Seize the moment. Act now.
I have spent my life traveling across the universe inside my mind. Through Theoretical Physics I have sought to answer some of the great questions. But there are other challenges, other big questions which must be answered and these will also need a new generation who are interested, engaged, and with an understanding of science.
How will we feed an ever growing population, provide clean water, generate renewable energy, prevent and cure disease, and slow down global climate change?
I hope that science and technology will provide the answers to these questions. But it will take people, human beings with knowledge and understanding to implement these solutions.
One of the great revelations of the Space Age has been the perspective it has given humanity on ourselves. When we see the earth from space, we see ourselves as a whole. We see the unity and not the divisions. It is such a simple image with a compelling message. One planet. One human race.
We are here together and we need to live together with tolerance and respect. We must become Global Citizens. Our only boundaries are the way we see ourselves. The only borders, the way we see each other.
I have been enormously privileged through my work to be able to contribute to our understanding of the universe but it would be an empty universe indeed if it were not for the people I love and who love me. Without them the wonder of it all would be lost on me.
Let us fight for every woman and every man to have the opportunity to live healthy, secure lives, full of opportunity and love.
We are all time travelers, journeying together into the future. But let us work together to make that future a place we want to visit.
Be brave, be determined, overcome the odds. It can be done.
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