“All of us must find ways to work together. We must view our world and our interconnectedness dramatically, profoundly, and courageously.”
Speaking at the World Health Organization Conference, Sargent Shriver stressed the importance of collaboration when addressing the worldwide problems of ill health and poverty -- two related issues that know no borders. It is in this context that he reminded the audience of humanity’s interconnectedness.
The basic principle that we are all connected and that we must view that connection “dramatically, profoundly, and courageously” guided Sargent Shriver throughout his life. Whether he was working with members of Congress to make the Peace Corps a reality, or creating War on Poverty programs that would empower individual communities throughout the country, or bringing Special Olympics to countries as diverse as the former Soviet Union, China, Tunisia, New Zealand, and South Korea, Sargent Shriver’s unwavering belief that we are all connected allowed him to solve problems, resolve conflicts, and build institutions in ways that would not have been possible otherwise.
Do we have the courage to face everyone around us with the attitude that we are all connected, even in moments of division or conflict?
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