Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war, and until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation, until the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes, and until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers down in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; until the bigotry and prejudice have been replaced by understanding, tolerance, and goodwill; and until that day, the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship, and the rule of international morality shall remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued, but never attained. Until that day the world will not know peace, only war.Â
These words were spoken to the United Nations by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie in 1963.
This article appears in Aug 4-11, 2016.
