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If information and knowledge are central to democracy, they are the conditions for development.

Kofi Annan

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Kofi Annan
Age: 80 †
Born: 1938
Born: April 8
Died: 2018
Died: August 18
Diplomat
Economist
Politician
Coomassie
Kofi Atta Annan
Annan
Kofi A. Annan
Information
Democracy
Knowledge
Central
Development
Conditions
Progress

More quotes by Kofi Annan

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This is a day on which we pay our respects to those who have endured the unimaginable. This is an occasion for the world to speak up against the unspeakable. It is long overdue that a day be dedicated to remembering and supporting the many victims and survivors of torture around the world.
Kofi Annan
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Poverty devastates families, communities and nations. It causes instability and political unrest and fuels conflict.
Kofi Annan
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However much one tries to suppress the will of the people they eventually will have the last word.
Kofi Annan
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Reform is a process, and not an event.
Kofi Annan
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In all these cases, part of the reasons for failure perhaps was not analyzing and assessing the true nature of the crisis, the resources that would be required, and exaggerated expectation of what the U.N. troops can do.
Kofi Annan
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The World is not ours to keep. We hold it in trust for future generations.
Kofi Annan
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My intimate knowledge of the [UN] system allowed me to get things done despite the many obstacles.
Kofi Annan
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One must also acknowledge that there are moments in an organisation's development when fresh blood and new vision are required, which may imply that an outsider may be better suited to the leadership role.
Kofi Annan
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In the 21st Century I believe the mission of the United Nations will be defined by a new, more profound, awareness of the sanctity and dignity of every human life, regardless of race or religion.
Kofi Annan
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If the United Nations is not as united as it should be, that is because it is a reflection of the world we live in.
Kofi Annan
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We must restore the sacredness of the family as a bedrock of humane values everywhere, in peace as well as in war.
Kofi Annan
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Ignorance and prejudice are the handmaidens of propaganda. Our mission, therefore, is to confront ignorance with knowledge, bigotry with tolerance, and isolation with the outstretched hand of generosity. Racism can, will, and must be defeated.
Kofi Annan
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If we get agriculture right in Africa, where most of the people now are working in that sector, not only would it help boost development but we will be secure in terms of food and nutrition and then be able to move on to other areas.
Kofi Annan
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Let us choose to unite the power of markets with the authority of universal ideals. Let us choose to reconcile the creative forces of private entrepreneurship with the needs of the disadvantaged and the requirements of future generations.
Kofi Annan
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In the rush for justice it is important not to lose sight of principles the country holds dear.
Kofi Annan
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The fight against HIV/AIDS requires leadership from all parts of government - and it needs to go right to the top. AIDS is far more than a health crisis. It is a threat to development itself.
Kofi Annan
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Unless the Security Council is restored to its pre-eminent position as the sole source of legitimacy on the use of force, we are on a dangerous path to anarchy.
Kofi Annan
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On this International Literacy Day, let us recall that literacy for all is an integral part of education for all, and that both are critical for achieving truly sustainable development for all.
Kofi Annan
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I am often asked what can people do to become a good global citizen? I reply that it begins in your own community.
Kofi Annan
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Ameen Rihani, one of the earliest Arab Americans, devoted his life to bringing the East and the West together. We are not of the East or the West, he wrote. No boundaries exist in our breast: We are free.
Kofi Annan