Speech - Adrian Wyllie

edit: It looks so short here.

    War. The ultimate death sentence. We all know the effects of these cataclysmic events. If you look at an aerial map of a city in the middle east, you will see rubble. Bleak, grey rubble. People live in this rubble, rubble that used to be schools and homes and offices and markets.

    Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post hypothesizing a digital way to wage war, to prevent the destruction we see in the middle east. I disagree with this now. I now see war as part of what makes us human. You don't see war in nature, only fights over territory. But we as humans have surpassed the stage of fighting for survival, we now invest our time into things like speech, and the arts.

    We have had troops in Afghanistan for thirteen years. Thirteen. That's older than my sister. Now I propose a new idea. I have a feeling many of you will like this idea: a new, international holiday. This day, of which I call the day of peace and tranquility, is a day of cease-fire, no fighting happens on this day.

    This is a day for helping those caught in the middle of those wars. To help the people living in that bleak, grey rubble. I think this is due and proper. This is something all nations need, a day to celebrate life, and to help those on the edge of loosing the thing that is most valuable to them.

    We here, in this room, have voices. A quote from Sun Tzu, in his book, The Art of War, reads, “Every battle is won before it is fought.” Every battle has two outcomes, a side winning, and destruction. We have the power to try to minimize that destruction. So now I ask you, help me make this day real. Help this international cease-fire day pass. Thank you.