Speech to the United Nations
New York City, NY
October 4, 1963
In 1976, Bob Marley interpolated words from Haile Selassie the First’s legendary 1963 U.N. peace speech into his famous song War. Below is the text of the speech, translated from the French. Source: The 1972 book Important Utterances Of H.I.M. by the Imperial Ethiopian Ministry Of Information, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“…On the question of racial discrimination, the Addis Ababa Conference taught, to those who will learn, this further lesson: That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil…”
basicamente significa para não entende inglês…
Até que a filosofia que torna uma raça superior e outra inferior, seja finalmente permanentemente desacreditada e abandonada havera guerra. Até que existam cidadãos de 1º e 2º classe em qualquer nação. Até que a cor da pele de um homem não tenha maior significado que a cor dos seus olhos havera guerra. Até que todos os direitos basicos sejam igualmente garantido para todos, a não ser que tenha consideração com raça, ate esse dia o senhor da paz final, da almejada cidadania e o papel da moralidade, internacional, não sera mais que mera ilusão a ser percebida e nunca atingida agora havera guerra, rumores de guerra. Até que o governo que humilha nossos irmãos da Angola, em Mozambique, Africa do sul escravisada, não mais exista e seja destruido havera guerra.Guerra no leste, guerra no oeste, guerra no norte, guerra no sul,guerra rumores de guerra. Até esse dia, o continente africano não conhecera a paz. Nós africanos lutaremos, nós acharemos e conheceremos a vitoria do bem sobre o mal.