“We are coming to be aware that if we are to lick the problems of human poverty and misery, the problems caused by increasing urbanization, the problems of inadequate education, of pollution of the air and water and the destruction of our natural resources, we must do it together.”
Sargent Shriver understood the importance of collaboration. As a leader, he knew how to motivate groups of people to see and achieve their common goals. The problems he lists in our Quote of the Week, poverty, lack of education, and the destruction of environment, are arguably more pressing today than they were when he spoke these words almost 50 years ago. Do we now have the will to come together to create a more secure world for future generations?
Some context about this week’s speech: Sargent Shriver was four months into his tenure as US Ambassador to France when he spoke these words before the diplomatic press in Paris. He was already very comfortable with diplomacy and with addressing international issues, having successfully grown and led the Peace Corps in the first half of the 1960s. His ability to direct people towards a common cause was a quality that made him an effective leader, and it is a quality that is evident here.
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