Bianca Jagger's 2008 Commencement Address At Simmons College

International human rights advocate Bianca Jagger told 1,100 newly minted Simmons College graduates that the smallest act of courage can save lives, and "perhaps, even change the course of history," at the college's 103rd commencement at the Bayside Exposition Center in Boston.

Jagger, currently chair of the World Future Council, the Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador, and chair of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, has a long record of speaking out against inhumanities to human populations, and destruction of the environment. Over the years, she has worked to denounce human rights violations in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. As part of a campaign on behalf of indigenous populations in Latin America, she declared a commitment to help save the tropical rain forests and to protect indigenous peoples' historical habitats in the Western Hemisphere.

At the May 17 commencement, Jagger told graduates, "you have worked hard to get here. But I must tell you that it is now that the real hard work begins," she said. "Because we are at a crossroads in human history. We face unprecedented threats, both to human security and to the environment. We have witnessed numerous assaults on the rule of law, human rights and civil liberties. And we have entered a dangerous period in world politics, where our politicians are not being held accountable for their deceptions and failures.

"We are at a number of 'tipping points' that threaten to foreclose on our common future."

She criticized the current administration for what she called "an erosion of civil liberties." She also urged graduates to help preserve the planet for future generations, saying, "we require a Copernican revolution in our outlook. Each and every one of us must be prepared to make fundamental, lasting and immediate change. This cannot be about egos or agendas; it must be about the way we see the world and the way we see ourselves."

Jagger urged graduates to take stock of the many opportunities that lay before them. "But you also have a great responsibility: a responsibility to play your part in forging a peaceful world, in which coexistence and dialogue with other nations, races and faiths is possible. A world in which all citizens are equal before the law. You have an opportunity to contribute toward saving the planet - to redress the wrongs of your parents' and grandparents' generations, and set the world back on the path of peace, the rule of law, respect for human rights and harmony with nature...

"...I have every confidence that you will rise to meet the great challenges ahead of you. I believe in the power of the individual to make a difference."

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Bianca Jagger
• Simmons College
• Commencement 2008
• human rights