When you are behind bars with no hope of release, you need to find strength wherever you can. Personally, I found strength in Michael Jackson.

I knew we could improve our lives even in jail. We could come out as different men, and we could even come out with two degrees. Educating ourselves was a way to give ourselves the most powerful weapon for freedom.

Any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose.

Unlike some politicians, I can admit to a mistake.

Where globalization means, as it so often does, that the rich and powerful now have new means to further enrich and empower themselves at the cost of the poorer and weaker, we have a responsibility to protest in the name of universal freedom.

Our differences are our strength as a species and as a world community.

Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward.