6 Speeches That Inspired The World
Throughout history, the human voice has always been a powerful weapon for change. Many great leaders, great orators, and people with vision have given speeches that made their way into the history books. But at the end of the day, every great speech is just words and ideas, right?
Or is it . . .
A lot of speeches can inspire people to do better and be better, but then there are the speeches that inspire entire nations to make history. Bolstering the resolve of even a small group of listeners can bring about world-altering changes. So we set out to track down some of those special speeches. Every speech on this list led to direct and lasting changes throughout the world, and even to this day, many lines of these speeches might just sound familiar to you. Here you can see 6 Speeches that inspired the world. Check it out!
1. Martin Luther King: I Have A Dream, 1963
Let’s start off with one of the most recognizable speeches of the 20th Century – Martin Luther King Jnr in 1963 ‘I Have A Dream.’
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
2. Steve Jobs: Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish, 2005
Moving on to the first lady of human rights – Eleanor Roosevelt with her famous 1948 speech ‘The Struggle for Human Rights’
Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love.
3. Malala Yousafzai: Nobel Peace Prize, 2014
Great speeches have a habit of connecting to times of strife. The struggle for women’s suffrage is littered with powerful speeches denouncing inequality – here is one of the most famous from Malala Yousafzai.
We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.
4. Barack Obama: Yes We Can, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama spoke to the world from his home city of Chicago as he became the first black president of the United States.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
5. Muniba Mazari: We all are Perfectly Imperfect, 2017
Muniba Mazari is lovingly referred to as the Iron Lady of Pakistan. And for all the right reasons. At the age of 21, Muniba was left paralyzed from the hip down after surviving a tragic car accident. Her backbone was crushed and she sustained multiple fractures to her arm, shoulder, ribs, and collarbone. Doctors told her that she would be unable to walk, paint, or give birth; this left her devastated and questioning her existence in the world. In her powerful and inspiring speech, Muniba shares coming to terms with her new purpose while being confined to a bed for two years.
Words can make you, break you, they can heal your soul, they can damage you forever. So I always try to use the positive words in my life wherever I go. They call it adversity, I call it opportunity. They call it weakness, I call it strength. They call me disabled, I call myself differently-abled. They see my disability. I see my ability.
6. Greta Thunberg: How Dare You, 2019
Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg delivered an emotional speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit on September 23, 2019. The 16-year-old criticized global leaders for claiming they are doing enough about the climate crisis “when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight.”
The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say – we will never forgive you.
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