“ATATÜRK’S VISION LIVES THROUGH
THE UNITED NATIONS”
From UNESCO, MDGs–and–the Global Goals…
For the 93rd Anniversary Celebration of Republic of Turkey
“93. Cumhuriyet Bayramı”
Keynote Speech by: Bircan ÜNVER
Founder-President and Head
NGO Representative to the United Nations Department of Public Information
The Light Millennium – http://www.lightmillennium
The Southern New England Turkish-American Cultural Association
Connecticut State Capitol, October 28, 2016
“Mankind is a single body and each nation a part of that body. We must never say ‘What does it matter to me if some part of the world is ailing?’ If there is such an illness,
we must concern ourselves with it as though we were having that illness.” – Atatürk
“For everything in this world—for civilization, for life, for success—the truest guide is
knowledge and science.” – Atatürk
Thank you, to Robert McKay for the introduction. And, it is my great honor to speak in front of you for the 93rd Anniversary of the Turkish Republic in this gorgeous building, Hartford Capitol. And, I would like to thank SNETACA and Göknur McAvoy very much for organizing the event and inviting me to speak here.
The title of this keynote, “ATATÜRK’S VISION LIVES THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS – From UNESCO, MDGs–and–the Global Goals…” might be found very challenging. Indeed, I would never have come up with it, had my organization, The Light Millennium, not been associated with the United Nations and had I NOT had the opportunity to attend the Annual UN General Assembly Gatherings since 2006 (the initial association year is 2005).
My initial inspiration is based on this ground. In other words, listening to 50-100 heads of member states’ annual human and social development reports, and also attending numerous High Level Forums, and major UN Conferences and UNNGO Briefings at the United Nations initially led me to organize a two day-long international conference, titled “Pioneer of the Millennium Development Goals: Atatürk” at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken in 2013.