Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.

To understand my feelings — and my conception of the role of Secretary General — the nature of my religious and cultural background must first be understood. I should therefore like to outline not only my beliefs but also my conception of human institutions and of the human situation itself.

The war we have to wage today has only one goal, and that is to make the world safe for diversity.

Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.

As a Buddhist, I was trained to be tolerant of everything except intolerance. I was brought up not only to develop the spirit of tolerance but also to cherish moral and spiritual qualities such as modesty, humility, compassion, and, most important, to attain a certain degree of emotional equilibrium.

The concept of peaceful coexistence has been criticized by many who do not see the need to make the world safe for diversity. I wonder if they have ever paused to ask themselves the question: What is the alternative to coexistence?

In modern war there is no such thing as victor and vanquished... There is only a loser, and the loser is mankind.