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Remembrance Day 2002 | Path To Peace Award 2003

Dedication Ceremony of the Eric Hotung International Law Center

Path To Peace Award 2003 - June 12th 2003, New York

Monsignor Martino, Monsignor Migliore, President Xanana Gusmao, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is a great privilege for me to be here tonight and to receive this award. I am humbled by the fact that so many much more distinguished people have received this award and I'm really quite undeserving of being in such exalted company.

Perhaps no other words in the lexicon of human language so epitomizes man's search for the closeness to divinity. To be the children of God must be the ultimate objective of all mankind. It is an elusive aspiration. One has only to look at one's Christmas cards to see the emergence and reemergence of the words "Peace on earth to men of goodwill". And to that end, we aspire to be the children of God. No cortege, however humble or opulent, leaves the eternal resting ground without the word "peace" incorporated in its final prayer.

Excerpt from Sing Tao Daily dated July 11, 2003

Eric Hotung received Award in New York Read more...

But peace is not a given privilege. Peace commands a price and the price is eternal vigilance. Some decades ago, in the last century, Europe was in the hands of a disturbed leader whose activities rocked the world. With his avowed aim of destroying Judaism and exterminating it, his atrocity upon atrocity, shocked the very foundation of civilization so much so that Christianity itself teetered on the brink.

But thanks to the determination of the free people of the world who produced champions in the form of Churchill and Roosevelt, a coalition of nations was born, and a new army, an army of a new day was fielded, which drove the evil legions of night into flight. Together with Australia and New Zealand and the Commonwealth, all of this was achieved.

The world was to enjoy peace, but complacency and moral laxitude came into place. Through a combination of ancient fanaticism and modern machinery, a sudden murderous attack was fostered on the American nation which caused the slaughter of thousands of innocent people, a country which has no active problem at the time with anyone. It was a diabolical and vicious act, calculated to cause terror and the most severe of dislocations.

America, a nation which is known and has been known for its love of freedom, generosity and compassion to the less fortunate, even to fallen foes and former enemies, her record has no equal in the catalogue of nations. This compassionate nation was suddenly to bear the brunt of this barbaric savagery. Fortunately, the peace-loving nations of the world and its people produced the American lion in the form of President Bush, and with his friend, Tony Blair, Prime Minister Blair, and across the sea President Jiang Zemin of China, united in attempt to contain the implication of this disaster and the havoc that it was intended to foster, thus contained.

It has been a long and continuing struggle which will last for a long time to come, longer than we think. It will involve our children, our grandchildren. But it is a task to which we must bend ourselves. The price of peace demands this of us - eternal vigilance and cooperation with authority. For the enemy is unseen, is everywhere, strikes when and where they plan, who [inaudible] in a different time.

There is a satanic fire burning in the minds of some men, who desire only of horror, devastation and desolation. And this fire, this hideous head of terrorism must be contained and quenched with courage and vigilance, as exhibited by President Xanana Gusmao, who exhibited the highest form of moral, and physical and philosophical courage over those difficult times that faced Timor. I am sure you are all aware of what I speak.

On this occasion I would like to thank Monsignors Martino, Migliore, for this award, which I accept with deep thanks and humility. Thank you. Thank you all.

Remembrance Day 2002 | Path To Peace Award 2003

Dedication Ceremony of the Eric Hotung International Law Center