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speech about AIDS
tonight i remember that i have followed some speech in English when i still at school. but i never get number. because in my place have some people can speak English better than me.
so, below are my speech when i am school.
Imagine a world free of poverty. A world, where quality of life guarantees human dignity. A world, where everyone exercises basic human rights. A world, where all children will live to their fullest potential. That is the dream the World Bank shares with all member nations. That is why we remain impressed by Asia's achievements in social, economic and human development. But, that is also why I am here to talk about AIDS. AIDS threatens Asia. AIDS threatens to reduce, halt and even reverse economic growth of Asia. It threatens to kill the people of Asia at the prime of their productive years. It threatens to tear apart the very social fabric of Asia. Ultimately, but without exaggeration, AIDS threatens the security and stability of nation states. It is unlike any other disease. It is decidedly not just a public health matter. It is a singularly most critical socio-economic development issue.
AIDS threatens Asia, today. Not in generations, not in decades, not in years, but now -- today. At least 33 million people are infected worldwide. One quarter, or about 8 million, of them are here in Asia, and most likely more. Yes, already spreading silently here in Asia, where a lion's share of the world's population live. Preventing AIDS epidemic is, therefore, not the agenda of Asia alone. The highest absolute number of the poor live in Asia still. The majority of our world's children belong to Asia. AIDS' threat to Asia is a threat to the world. To void Asia's hard-earned economic and social achievements is a global threat. To deny the people of Asia the dream of the world without poverty is to deny that dream for the entire world. Preventing the epidemic in Asia is, indeed, a global development agenda.
We can be part of the problem or part of the solution. The World Bank is prepared to be part of the solution. But, it must be Asia's own solution, to protect your society, economy, proud nationhood -- all that you have, all that you want, all that you dream of. It has to be Asia's own commitment, starting at the top political leadership and throughout the civil society everywhere. It must be Asia's own will to act, with governments and non-government organizations united as true partners under one common cause. For leaders both in government and in civil society to choose not to act -- knowing fully the consequences -- is unethical and a betrayal of their people. To focus the might of leadership everywhere on the problem, orchestrating all the change agents throughout the society, is at the heart of the solution. Asia's future is in our hands. The choice, is ours.
Larger health expenditure from an AIDS epidemic will force very hard trade-offs in public finances. Here, I am on a safer ground. Every time I look at such financial projections, I shudder. We economists are not good at making impossible, unethical, financial trade-offs. I do not wish such nightmares on anyone, including and especially Finance Ministers. But, they will be the reality one day, if we do not act now.
But, HIV/AIDS respects no international borders. It does not discriminate by nationality, race, gender, or religion. And, I repeat, human behaviors and social conditions that spread the virus are present in all countries. Internal and international migration, or political and social upheavals, also facilitate the spread of the virus. By the time hospitals are seized by AIDS patients, it is too late. The virus will already have spread to epidemic proportions.
Today, Asia has a golden opportunity to act early. Asia does have pockets of concentrated epidemics. Nearly 600 million Asians live in countries with such pockets. The success of Thailand, and others such as India, teach us that concentrated epidemics can be contained, that one can slow down the spread of HIV, by enabling those with the greatest risk to protect themselves and others.
Asia has a small gift of time. Time to act. Time to act early. Time to prevent a generalized epidemic. Use it, before it turns against you.
Confronting AIDS is not easy. Acting to fight it is even tougher. But, engagements like the Sonagachi and Dhaka ones can prevent AIDS epidemic. They jump-start sustained social transformation that is development -- grass-roots social mobilization with empowerment, human dignity, and visible shifts in the quality of life. Early and enlightened government actions like these -- in true partnerships with non-government organizations and the civil society -- can shift the paradigm, the path and outcomes of nation building in Asia, and the rest of the world beyond.
I end my remarks with a favorite passage of mine, from the Koran: "Verily never will God change the condition of a people until they change it themselves, with their own souls." I call on all leaders of Asia, in governments and in civil societies, and all change agents amongst the people of Asia, to act, act forcefully, and act now.
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