Opening Keynote Address
Read on video to the NGO Forum on Women,
by Aung San Suu Kyi
It is a wonderful but daunting task that has fallen on me to say a few words by way of opening this Forum, the greatest concourse of women (joined by a few brave men!) that has ever gathered on our planet. I want to try and voice some of the common hopes which firmly unite us in all our splendid diversity.
But first I would
like to explain why I cannot be with you in person today. Last month I was
released from almost six years of house arrest. The regaining of my freedom has
in turn imposed a duty on me to work for the freedom of other women and men in
my country who have suffered far more - and who continue to suffer far more -
than I have. It is this duty which prevents me from joining you today. Even
sending this message to you has not been without difficulties. But the help of
those who believe in international cooperation and freedom of expression has
enabled me to overcome the obstacles. They made it possible for me to make a
small contribution to this great celebration of the struggle of women to mould
their own destiny and to influence the fate of our global village.
The opening plenary
of this Forum will be presenting an overview of the global forces affecting the
quality of life of the human community and the challenges they pose for the
global community as a whole and for women in particular as we approach the
twenty-first century. However, with true womanly understanding the Convener of
this Forum suggested that among these global forces and challenges, I might
wish to concentrate on those matters which occupy all my waking thoughts these
days: peace, security, human rights and democracy. I would like to discuss
these issues particularly in the context of the participation of women in
politics and governance.
For millenia women have dedicated themselves almost exclusively
to the task of nurturing, protecting and caring for the young and the old,
striving for the conditions of peace that favour life as a whole. To this can be added the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, no
war was ever started by women. But it is women and children who have
always suffered most in situations of conflict. Now that we are gaining control
of the primary historical role imposed on us of sustaining life in the context
of the home and family, it is time to apply in the arena of the world the
wisdom and experience thus gained in activities of peace over so many thousands
or years. The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot
fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all.
If to these universal
benefits of the growing emancipation of women can be added the "peace
dividend" for human development offered by the end of the Cold War,
spending less on the war toys of grown men and much more on the urgent needs of
humanity as a whole, then truly the next millenia
will be an age the like to which has never been seen in human history. But
there still remain many obstacles to be overcome before we can achieve this
goal. And not least among these obstacles are intolerance and insecurity.
This year is the
International Year for Tolerance. The United Nations has recognised
that "tolerance, human rights, democracy and peace are closely related.
Without tolerance, the foundations for democracy and respect for human rights
cannot be strenghened, and the achievements of peace
will remain elusive." My own experience during the years I have been
engaged in the democracy movement in
There is an outmoded
Burmese proverb still recited by men, who wish to deny that women too can play
a part in bringing necessary change and progress to their society: "The
dawn rises only when the rooster crows." But Burmese people today are well
aware of the scientific reason behind the rising of dawn and the falling of
dusk. And the intelligent rooster surely realizes that it is because dawn comes
that it crows and not the other way round. It crows to welcome the light that
has come to relieve the darkness of night. It is not the prerogative of men
alone to bring light to this world: women with their capacity for compassion
and self-sacrifice, their courage and perseverence,
have done much to dissipate the darkness of intolerance and hate, suffering and
despair.
Often the other side
of the coin of intolerance is insecurity. Insecure people tend to be
intolerant, and their intolerance unleashes forces that threaten the security
of others. And where there is no security there can be no lasting peace. In its
Human Development Report for last year, the UNDP noted that human security
"is not a concern with weapons - it is a concern with human life and
dignity." The struggle for democracy and human rights in
Traditionally the
home is the domain of the woman. But there has never been a guarantee that she
can live out her life there safe and unmolested. There are countless women who
are subjected to severe cruelty within the heart of the family which should be
their haven. And in times of crisis when their menfolk
are unable to give them protection, women have to face the harsh challenges of
the world outside while continuing to discharge their duties within the home.
Many of my male
colleagues who have suffered imprisonment for their part in the democracy
movement have spoken of the great debt of gratitude they owe their womenfolk,
particularly their wives, who stood by them firmly, tender as mothers nursing
their newly born, brave as lionesses defending their young. These magnificent
human beings who have done so much to aid their men in the struggle for justice
and peace-how much more could they not achieve if given the opportunity to work
in their own right for the good of their country and of the world?
Our endeavours have also been sustained by the activities of
strong and principled women all over the world who have campaigned not only for
my own release but, more importantly, for our cause. I cannot let this
opportunity pass without speaking of the gratitude we feel towards our sisters
everywhere, from heads of governments to busy housewives. Their efforts have
been a triumphant demonstration of female solidarity and of the power of an
ideal to cross all frontiers.
In my country at
present, women have no participation in the higher levels of government and
none whatsoever in the judiciary. Even within the democratic movement only 14
out of the 485 MPs elected in 1990 were women-all from my own party, the
National League for Democracy. These 14 women represent less than 3 percent of
the total number of successful candidates. They, like their male colleagues,
have not been permitted to take office, since the outcome of those elections
has been totally ignored. Yet the very high performance of women in our
educational system and in the management of commercial enterprises proves their
enormous potential to contribute to the betterment of society in general.
Meanwhile our women have yet to achieve those fundamental rights of free
expression, association and security of life denied also to their menfolk.
The adversities that
we have had to face together have taught all of us involved in the struggle to
build a truly democratic political system in
There is an age old
prejudice the world over to the effect that women talk too much. But is this
really a weakness? Could it not in fact be a strength?
Recent scientific research on the human brain has revealed that women are
better at verbal skills while men tend towards physical action.
Psychological
research has shown on the other hand that disinformation engendered by men has
far more damaging effect on its victims than feminine gossip. Surely these
discoveries indicate that women have a most valuable contribution to make in
situations of conflict, by leading the way to solutions based on dialogue
rather than on viciousness or violence?
The Buddhist paravana ceremony at the end of the rainy season retreat
was instituted by the Lord Buddha, who did not want human beings to live in
silence [I quote] "like dumb animals." This ceremony, during which
monks ask mutual forgiveness for any offence given during the retreat, can be
said to be a council of truth and reconciliation. It might also be considered a
forerunner of that most democratic of institutions, the parliament, a meeting
of peoples gathered together to talk over their shared problems. All the
world's great religions are dedicated to the generation of happiness and
harmony. This demonstrates the fact that together with the combative instincts
of man there co-exists a spiritual aspiration for
mutual understanding and peace.
This forum of
non-governmental organizations represents the belief in the ability of
intelligent human beings to resolve conflicting interests through exchange and
dialogue. It also represents the conviction that governments alone cannot
resolve all the problems of their countries. The watchfulness and active
cooperation of organizations outside the spheres of officialdom are necessary
to ensure the four essential components of the human development paradigm as
identified by the UNDP: productivity, equity, sustainability and empowerment.
The last is particularly relevant: it requires that "development must be
by people, not only for them. People must participate fully in the decisions
and processes that shape their lives." In other words people must be
allowed to play a significant role in the governance of the country. And
"people" include women who make up at least half of the world's
population.
The last six years
afforded me much time and food for thought. I came to the conclusion that the
human race is not divided into two opposing camps of good and evil. It is made
up of those who are capable of learning and those who are incapable of doing so.
Here I am not talking of learning in the narrow sense of acquiring an academic
education, but of learning as the process of absorbing
those lessons of life that enable us to increase peace and happiness in our
world. Women in their roles as mothers have traditionally assumed the
responsibility of teaching children values that will guide them throughout
their lives. It is time we were given the full opportunity to use our natural
teaching skills to contribute towards building a modern world that can withstand
the tremendous challenges of the technological revolution which has in turn
brought revolutionary changes in social values.
As we strive to teach
others we must have the humility to acknowledge that we too still have much to
learn. And we must have the flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of the
world around us. Women who have been taught that modesty and pliancy are among
the prized virtues of our gender are marvelously equipped for the learning
process. But they must be given the opportunity to turn these often merely
passive virtues into positive assets for the society in which they live.
These, then, are our common hopes that unite us-that as the shackles of prejudice and intolerance fall from our own limbs we can together strive to identify and remove the impediments to human development everywhere. The mechanisms by which this great task is to be achieved provide the proper focus of this great Forum. I feel sure that women throughout the world who, like me, cannot be with you join me now in sending you all our prayers and good wishes for a joyful and productive meeting.
I thank you.