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.
I'm never content with what I do. I live in a sort of permanent dissatisfaction. I think that's the secret to doing things well.
My greatest challenge is not what's happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their f*****g perch. And you can print that.
The success [of Mary Kay Inc.] is much, much deeper than just dollars and cents and buildings and assets. The real success of our Company is measured to me in the lives that have been touched and given hope.
It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.
I try to make it look easy, but the behind-the-scenes stuff is the challenge.
In our business, things look like a failure until they're not. It's pretty binary transitions.
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