If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever.

literacy is at the heart of sustainable development

There can be no doubt that these attacks are deliberate acts of terrorism, carefully planned and coordinated and as such I condemn them utterly. Terrorism must be fought resolutely wherever it appears.

On this International Literacy Day, let us recall that literacy for all is an integral part of education for all, and that both are critical for achieving truly sustainable development for all.

Ameen Rihani, one of the earliest Arab Americans, devoted his life to bringing the East and the West together. We are not of the East or the West, he wrote. No boundaries exist in our breast: We are free.

I urge you to celebrate the extraordinary courage and contributions of refugees past and present.

Peace is never a perfect achievement.