Kofi Annan: Humanitarian of the Nations

Kofi Annan is a decorated diplomat from Ghana who served as Secretary General of the United Nations for ten years and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. Annan preaches the idealism of a humanitarian society in his stirring speech, clearly outlining his aspirations for society: "eradicating poverty, preventing conflict, and promoting democracy." In recognizing his prestigious position in international relations, his vision of an ideal society is addressed to no country in particular. Clearly, this speech is advocating his goal for world peace, and he has taken significant steps to attaining that rather lofty goal, as he was selected to be the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Annan's speech addresses other worldly issues such as promoting the democratic form of government and reaffirming the argument that all people are equal. His audience seems to be comprised of various leaders and sovereigns from a smattering of countries, an opportune moment to convey the world of its issues. Overall, the purpose of such a speech is to make the world aware of these pressing problems, and that there is no better time than the present to address them. Annan begins his speech by saying that "a girl will be born," implying posterity and possibility. His next few sentences are devoted to the overall theme of the speech: humanity or the value of a human life. He sermonizes the importance of every single human being, all unknowingly interconnected in a reality shadowed with poverty and genocide. He delicately expresses the evils of greed and corruption, forcing the audience to empathize with the soldiers and civilians. He optimistically concludes his moving speech by subtly reminding us of the future and the world people desire to give their children to conquer.
The speech is thoughtfully crafted, as it reminds the audience of the main issues at hand. Annan also adds an image of a child, an image of the future, to create a sense of caring and perhaps to emphasize his main idea, the consideration of mankind. He also provides the audience with a solution: joining the United Nations in order to not only improve citizens of one country, but citizens from every country. With this union of nations, all people can be given equal rights and freedom to govern their own life, to pursue happiness of the most genuine kind. All of these aspirations can be possible, he declares, simply by assimilating all countries as the United Nations.
Personally, Kofi Annan is a person everyone should aspire to become. Not only does he publicize his beliefs, he also acts upon them, a very rare quality these days. Although the world is far from achieving Annan's vision of society, it is ready to see a world united with a common purpose: humanity for all.