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Our Priorities
Compassionate World Citizenship

Compassionate World Citizenship

Dr. Martha C. Nussbaum

Commencement Speeches
The AI Dilemma

The AI Dilemma

Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin

Talks
Mandela's speech after his release from prison

Mandela's speech after his release from prison

Nelson Mandela

Talks
Invictus

Invictus

William Ernest Henley

Poetry
Pre-historic cave painting from 32,000 years ago.

Pre-historic cave painting from 32,000 years ago.

Apparently, most cave art was created by women.

Photography
Amnesty International calls out India's ruling BJP party on its crackdown

Amnesty International calls out India's ruling BJP party on its crackdown

Partner Stories
We all wish Venezuela to become a democracy

We all wish Venezuela to become a democracy

Juan Manuel Santos Calderon

Talks
Life is meaningless and absurd

Life is meaningless and absurd

Alan Alda, American actor

Commencement Speeches
True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News  (2020)

True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News (2020)

Cindy L. Otis

Books
Ten Ways to Avoid Mucking Up the World Any Worse Than It Already Is.

Ten Ways to Avoid Mucking Up the World Any Worse Than It Already Is.

Russell Baker (1925 - 2019)

Commencement Speeches
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century  (2018)

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2018)

Timothy Snyder

Books
The astonishing story of Beethoven's

The astonishing story of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy."

Maria Popova

Music
Why the West Rules--for Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future  (2011)

Why the West Rules--for Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future (2011)

Ian Morris

Books
News we can trust

News we can trust

The Center for Humane Technology

Talks
Afghan home 1980's

Afghan home 1980's

Luke Powell

Photography
Ulysses  (1833)

Ulysses (1833)

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Poetry
Help Rotary International advance world understanding through community action.

Help Rotary International advance world understanding through community action.

Partner Initiatives
Our Eternal Resilience

Our Eternal Resilience

William Allen White

Commencement Speeches
European Union's plan for defending democracy (2023)

European Union's plan for defending democracy (2023)

European Union (EU)

Articles

"It’s okay now but not like it should be."

Essie Pettway, Mary Lee Bendolph, Rita Mae “Rabbit” Pettway, Lucy “Toot” Mingo, and China Pettway.

Talks
Yes, I’d give the devil benefit of the law...

Yes, I’d give the devil benefit of the law...

Paul Scofield, as Sir Thomas More

Talks
If your dreams do not scare you...

If your dreams do not scare you...

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

Talks
RFK Jr. on the night Martin Luther King Jr. was killed...

RFK Jr. on the night Martin Luther King Jr. was killed...

Robert F.Kennedy Jr

Talks
No one is above the law.

No one is above the law.

Heather Cox Richardson

Articles
What exactly is democracy?

What exactly is democracy?

Timothy Snyder

Talks
Be Your Own Story

Be Your Own Story

Toni Morrison

Commencement Speeches
The Joys and Necessity of Bringing Diverse People Together

The Joys and Necessity of Bringing Diverse People Together

Ms. Gloria Steinem

Commencement Speeches
Afghan money changers  1980's

Afghan money changers 1980's

Luke Powell

Photography
Radical Renewal of Human Responsibility

Radical Renewal of Human Responsibility

Vaclav Havel

Commencement Speeches
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Jimmy Stewart

Talks
Osaka Rush Hour

Osaka Rush Hour

Bing images

Photography
Neighborly Maine

Neighborly Maine

Peter Ralston

Photography
Be True to Yourself

Be True to Yourself

Michelle Obama

Commencement Speeches
Join Oxfam International in providing a life of dignity for every person in crisis.

Join Oxfam International in providing a life of dignity for every person in crisis.

Partner Initiatives
Shadong, China

Shadong, China

Jimmy Nelson

Photography
Two people shouting out barely related sentences

Two people shouting out barely related sentences

Celeste Headlee

Talks
Each of us

Each of us

Tony Balis

Articles
In an Era of Mistrust and Upheaval, Democracy Seeks a Path Forward

In an Era of Mistrust and Upheaval, Democracy Seeks a Path Forward

Roger Cohen

Articles
No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe

No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe

John Donne

Poetry
Without accusations, boasts, hedges, obfuscations, or apocalytic metaphors....she did what a leader is supposed to do: explain the gravity of the situation…”

Without accusations, boasts, hedges, obfuscations, or apocalytic metaphors....she did what a leader is supposed to do: explain the gravity of the situation…”

Angela Merkel

Talks
Beware the slippery road to fascism.

Beware the slippery road to fascism.

Shashi Tharoor

Articles
Make Good Art

Make Good Art

Neil Gaiman

Commencement Speeches
Innovative new media in Paraguay

Innovative new media in Paraguay

Jazmin Acuna

Talks
We are all time travellers jouneying together

We are all time travellers jouneying together

Stephen Hawking

Talks
That's Not a Cause.   That's an Emergency.

That's Not a Cause. That's an Emergency.

Bono, Irish singer and activist

Commencement Speeches
A Left-handed Commencement Address

A Left-handed Commencement Address

Ursula K LeGuin

Commencement Speeches
Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes   (1982)

Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes (1982)

Frans de Waal

Books
To the Castle and Back: A Memoir  (2007)

To the Castle and Back: A Memoir (2007)

Václav Havel

Books
1,200 possibilities for Earth's future

1,200 possibilities for Earth's future

Chris Mooney, Naema Ahmed and John Muyskens

Articles
The Lessons of History (1968)

The Lessons of History (1968)

Will and Ariel Durant

Books
When all we ever need is our voice.

When all we ever need is our voice.

Clint Smith

Talks
The Movement and the Madman

The Movement and the Madman

Steve Talbot (Wesleyan 1970 classmate!)

Documentaries
Where the Mind is Without Fear  (1910)

Where the Mind is Without Fear (1910)

Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) legendary Indian writer, first non-European to win Nobel for Literature, 1913.

Poetry
We All Breathe the Same Air

We All Breathe the Same Air

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Commencement Speeches
Turmi Clay  -  Ethiopia

Turmi Clay - Ethiopia

Lisa Kristine

Photography
Tomorrow's activist

Tomorrow's activist

anonymous

Photography
The private sector gets it right

The private sector gets it right

Mariott Corporation

Talks
Introduction to our commencement archive and top ten speeches.

Introduction to our commencement archive and top ten speeches.

29 commencement speakers

Commencement Speeches
On Learning to Talk

On Learning to Talk

William Howard Gass

Commencement Speeches
Sapiens  (2011)

Sapiens (2011)

Yuval Noah Harari

Books
Athens aglow with eternal hope for democracy.

Athens aglow with eternal hope for democracy.

Bing images

Photography
Freedom  (2024)

Freedom (2024)

Timothy Snyder

Books
A Conference in Time

A Conference in Time

Ursula K. le Guin

Poetry
Ashoka Changemakers  -  leading the way since 1980.

Ashoka Changemakers - leading the way since 1980.

Partner Initiatives
The Imitator Dooms Himself with Hopeless Mediocrity

The Imitator Dooms Himself with Hopeless Mediocrity

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Commencement Speeches
Dictators hate political cartoons -- so I keep drawing

Dictators hate political cartoons -- so I keep drawing

Rayma Suprani

Talks
How Democracies Die  (2015)

How Democracies Die (2015)

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

Books
You Are On Your Own Now

You Are On Your Own Now

Taylor Swift

Commencement Speeches
Support Human Rights Watch in protecting students from online surveillance.

Support Human Rights Watch in protecting students from online surveillance.

Partner Initiatives
Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition  (1970)

Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition (1970)

Paulo Freire

Books
Democracy needs champions

Democracy needs champions

Heather Cox Richardson

Articles
Real Freedom

Real Freedom

David Foster Wallace

Commencement Speeches
The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951)

The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951)

Hannah Arendt

Books
Find What You Love

Find What You Love

Steve Jobs

Commencement Speeches
The larger cause of humanity...

The larger cause of humanity...

Dr. Shashi Tharoor

Articles
The History of Fake News

The History of Fake News

Andie Tucher

Talks
Join CARE in fighting global poverty

Join CARE in fighting global poverty

Partner Initiatives
Truth and Indifference

Truth and Indifference

Tom Hanks

Commencement Speeches
Becoming Kinder

Becoming Kinder

George Saunders

Commencement Speeches
The Big Vote

The Big Vote

Amy Davidson Sorkin

Articles
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In this online oasis, The Humanity Initiative offers clarity and insight on our most crucial challenges, providing compelling inspiration for each of us to join in fostering a resurgent new voice of humanity.

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