As many micro-credit schemes across the world can testify, investment in women is the best investment for the future.
Interpretation
Investing in women leads to positive outcomes for society and the economy.
Ban Ki-Moon's quote emphasizes the crucial role of women in driving progress and development through micro-credit schemes. By investing in women's opportunities and resources, societies can achieve sustainable growth and a brighter future, as women often reinvest their earnings back into their families and communities.
In practice
In a keynote speech on gender equality, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of investing in women's initiatives.
Nuclear terrorism is one of the most serious threats of our time. Even one such attack could inflict mass casualties and create immense suffering and unwanted change in the world forever. This prospect should compel all of us to act to prevent such a catastrophe.
We have international standards regulating everything from t-shirts to toys to tomatoes. There are international regulations for furniture. That means there are common standards for the global trade in armchairs but not the global trade in arms.
Weapons of mass destruction violate more than individual lives - they cross international borders and jeopardize all people. They also drain resources that could be used instead for medicines, schools and other life-saving supplies. We must come together with even greater determination to prevent a WMD nightmare.
Throughout human history, in any great endeavour requiring the common effort of many nations and men and women everywhere, we have learned - it is only through seriousness of purpose and persistence that we ultimately carry the day. We might liken it to riding a bicycle. You stay upright and move forward so long as you keep up the momentum.
By including children with different learning abilities in mainstream and specialized schools, we can change attitudes and promote respect. By creating suitable jobs for adults with autism, we integrate them into society.
Freedom is a timeless value. The United Nations Charter calls for encouraging respect for fundamental freedoms. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights mentions freedom more than twenty times. All countries have committed to protecting individual freedoms on paper - but in practice, too many break their pledge.
The person interested in success has to learn to view failure as a healthy, inevitable part of the process of getting to the top.
Generally speaking, investing in yourself is the best thing you can do. Anything that improves your own talents; nobody can tax it or take it away from you. They can run up huge deficits and the dollar can become worth far less. You can have all kinds of things happen. But if you’ve got talent yourself, and you’ve maximized your talent, you’ve got a tremendous asset that can return ten-fold.
My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on a few things.
Achievement is talent plus preparation
If you have the opportunity to go be an early employee at a company that's just going crazy, and you believe it's the next Facebook or Google, you should go join that company.
Success is choosing to enter the arena of action, determined to give yourself to the cause that will better humanity and last for eternity.
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