Speech given by the Ambassadorial Scholar Brittany Arthur in Berlin on 2nd of Dec, 2012

1. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
Global Peace Forum Berlin
New Generations
田中様、京子様、お世話になっております。
お願いいたします。
If we have everything we need to succeed, why do we
still have the problems we have?
Why is this new generation one of the most
unemployed? Drunk? Drugged? Depressed and
uninspired?
If our systems of education were still relevant and
successful why do we have youth, across the world,
on every continent, with masters degrees and double
master degrees with no jobs?
Since the beginning of time, the Greek, Spanish and
Italian cultures have been the dreamers, and some of
the most passionate. These are the civilizations from
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

2. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
which our greatest human developments have
blossomed. But today their youth are walking around
with no vision, no hope, no jobs and no belief in their
capacity for change.
Highly fueled emotions, mixed with no channel for
positive and effective expression brings conflict - you
get riots in Greece, riots in Spain. You get tears, hurt
and pain. Taking us further and further from our
shared goal of peace.
We as Rotarians believe that it is in the service of
others that we find ourselves. The opportunity to serve
is the great need of the new generation that you can
help fill.
Our beliefs about what we are and what we can be
largely determine what we will be. If we believe in
peace we will work in every way possible to create a
peaceful life. The same rules apply if we believe in our
own self-imposed limits or hopelessness, our minds
have suddenly made those limits real.
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

3. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
How can we be peaceful when our future is no
brighter than our present?
We are here because we believe in the world not as it
is but as it could be. So first let me thank you for
devoting your time a resources to this mighty
challenge
And you are here because you believe this new
generation, my generation, is destined to succeed.
We are the success stories of our ancestors who were
smart enough, fast enough, strong enough and
courageous enough to survive famines, plagues, wars
and the worst natural disasters imaginable.
We are the most educated, the most mobile and the
richest generation who has ever walked on earth. And
we have significantly increased the length of our lives -
living well into our 70s and 80s. Yet, with all of this,
something is lacking.
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

4. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
What we can achieve with our long, healthy, hopeful
lives will surpass the best future any of us sitting in this
room today can possibly imagine.
In this world we really only have two things to give.
The first is our love, the second is our service. Often
our service is an expression of our love. We here at
Rotary know that the whole-hearted giving of
ourselves - of our love & our service - the most
meaningful things in the world.
We know this because these moments are so
powerful, these moments are so emotional, these
moments are so significant that we give them a name.
We call them Rotary Moments.
Our Rotary Moments remind us why we really exist.
We exist to serve others. We exist for something
greater than ourselves. We exist to serve above self.
We exist as we know this world is not about ‘me’ but
about ‘us’.
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

5. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
Your Rotary moment is that moment when you find
your self in the service of others. That moment of
connection with your true self, your better self, that
self you know you were meant to be. That moment
when the reason why we are all here suddenly, if only
for a moment, makes sense.
Rotary moments in a sense are bridges, bridges that
take us from who are today to who we want to be
tomorrow. They are the bridge between the world as it
is today and the world as it could be tomorrow.
My journey has bought me the absolute pleasure of
working with the most talented, brightest students on
the planet. Whether is has been my studies in
Australia, Japan or in Germany, I can attest that our
most brilliant young minds tend to illustrate a common
theme.
That theme is passion. There are those who love what
they do and those who do not.
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

6. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
The difference between striving for your cause with
great purpose and focus and, simply not, is in the
belief, it is possible. A peaceful balance of my why and
my how. This passion can change the course of a life
completely.
While culture and tradition play a tremendous role in
our development, there are 2 unifying elements of
these people of passion. Elements that exist beyond
religions, beyond borders. Motivation and Mobilization.
The will and the how
The first is that their belief in the world as is could be
is stronger than anything else.
Motivation: It is a focus where your vision is so
compelling that it becomes not what you do but who
you are. You move from someone who dances to a
dancer, someone who paints to a painter.
Mobilization: They then take this crystal clear vision of
the would as it could be and find the best resources.
The best tools, the best map, the best mentor and the
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

7. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
best strategies. The successes of those leave clues,
and the wise follow these clues which can be
emulated in purpose and practice.
Mobilization is what realizes a motivation into success.
However, we know know people who have every
motivation to act and choose not to. Every tool to act
and choose not to. What is the difference between
those who act and those who don’t?
The answer is in conflict. Inner conflicts. You know this
is the most dangerous form of conflict there is - it is
quiet, you can hide it and the world never would know
it exists - This conflict is what brings you 3 steps back
after moving 2 steps forward.
And what are the most common conflicts to being the
person you were made to be and contributing your all
to this world?
One: Am I good enough?
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

8. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
If you have pushed though that one, the next one is:
Who am I to deserve all this?
How can we unbind ourselves from our self-imposed
limits when we are conflicted? How can we find peace
when we are being pulled in 2 ways? My dream is for
each young person to build their bridge from their
world as it is to their world as it could be.
But my aim for today is not to present you a problem.
My dream for today is to present you a solution.
Inner peace comes from bridging the world as it is and
the world as it and the world as it could be. That
bridge is in mobilization. That bridge is you. That
bridge is a Rotary moment.
They know why. What they do not know is how. It is
the responsibility of the youth to dream and it is your
yours to believe. Look into their eyes and tell them,
“you are made to dream, I am made to believe in you.
I will be your tool kit, I will be you belief when you
don’t believe in yourself”.
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

9. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
Youth with inner peace have the confidence to
connect with those around them with vulnerability and
empathy. And what psychology knows about
vulnerability and empathy is that they are the seeds for
innovation, creativity and change.
Innovation, creativity and change are necessary for the
development of our society, our governments, our
economies, our education systems...
Inner peace is the courage in your heart to know that
even if I fail, even if this doesn’t come together this
time, that’s ok. Because I have someone who believes
in me and that is what give me the willingness and
sense of purpose to try when there are no guarantees.
And more importantly, a youth at peace with
themselves can be the light others need to do the
same. How do I know this?
Because I cannot help but believe that the hands of
destiny bought me to you today. The course of my life
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

10. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
was completely transformed by Rotary Youth
Exchange. And I wasn’t even the one who went on
exchange! It was the girl next to me Rieko Fukazawa.
Through Rieko, I was introduced to the Rotary family
and now I stand here today as your Ambassadorial
Scholar.
I could believe that all of these moments are
coincidence. I could also believe that I am destined to
be with you this morning. I am standing here before
you because, I had mentors who looked me in the
eyes and said “we believe in you”. I could do the rest.
We, as Rotarians, know that human communities
depend upon a diversity of talent. And not in a
singular conception of ability. We represent an
inspiring number of diverse disciplines. One of our
guidelines is to dignify each Rotarians occupation with
an opportunity of service. You can help give our youth
the same chance.
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com

11. Global Peace Forum Berlin! ! ! ! ! ! ! Speech: New Generations
The way back to peace and to each other is finding
ourselves through service. Solving our inner conflicts
through a deep belief on our own self-worth.
I ask two from you: 1. Find your dreamer. Choose
right now, a young person with the will and in need of
a way. If you do not know someone directly ask your
YEO, look them in the eyes and reassure them you
believe in them. That they are not taking this scary
journey alone. There is no need for fear. There is no
need for inner conflict. 2. Be a believer. This is the
most important. Give not what you know.
Give who you are.
If you choose, you can have the opportunity to
provide resources and!guidance to release this
passion and completely change the trajectory of many
young lives.
Brittany Arthur! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! brittany.a.arthur@gmail.com