I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone
on the second anniversary of the establishment of Student
World Assembly and to inform you of the plans we have made
for the future.
As the SWA continues to promote greater understanding
and respect for human rights through education, participation
and action, I am proud to announce that today we are blessed
by the presence of more than 8000 members. The actions
of these thousands of individuals give the SWA the leverage
to become a major and effective organization dedicated
to Global Democracy and Human Rights.
As we strive for a more democratic world, we all have
a role to play. I challenge you to think about the role
that you can personally play, both locally and globally,
as student activists and as members of the assembly.
During the past year, we have witnessed catastrophic
events, from famine, hunger and genocide in Africa, to
horrific terrorist attacks in European city centers and
the heartwrenching pictures of the many hurricane victims
both in Asia and the United States. In the coming year,
the SWA hereby makes a solemn commitment to give high
priority to issues concerning the direct abuse of the
quality of life and human rights.
We have all agreed that we will act together in our respective
countries, within the regional chapters and also on a
global level, through the internet and international conventions.
We'll continue to commit ourselves to existing issues
and other issues that will arise. The SWA has presented
us with a challenge to take action, and we have agreed
to take up that challenge.
So far we have achieved tremendous success in reaching
out to new members, holding educational events and taking
action on pressing global issues. We remain very optimistic
about the future. With the continuation of hard work and
commitment, soon the SWA will turn into an internationally
known organization which everyone will have heard of and
can trust, and a place where their hopes too can be realized.
With so many new members in all parts of the world, there
are many more opportunities for us to pursue our mission.
We should all celebrate this fast expansion of our organization
and recognize that we belong to a huge and diverse family.
We are the ones in the know, the ones informed about
global decisions and issues, and that sets us apart. It
also gives us the responsibility to take action and to
inform others.
As Oscar Arias Sanchez, a Nobel peace prize winning activist
eloquently stated, "In a world which presents such
a dramatic struggle between life and death, the decision
we make about how to conduct our lives, about the kind
of people we want to be, have important consequences.
In this context we must stand on the side of life."
Don’t forget, every action that you bravely take
is not only for the present generation, but for all generations
to come. There can be no task nobler than spreading the
ideals of liberty and democracy.
Good luck to you all!
Elahe
Beheshtitabar
Assembly speaker
Student World Assembly
***
September 2005 is Student World Assembly’s two year anniversary
and we have a lot to celebrate! In the beginning stages
of our development we had a membership of around 200 members,
which grew to 2200 and now is at over 8057, with members
at almost 650 different colleges and universities.
The Student World Assembly was established in September 2003 by the The Raynault Foundation and hopes to continue its tradition of outreach by continuing to offer an opportunity to students all over the globe to participate in the discussion of global issues, share ideas, and come together as a group to orchestrate change on a local and global level by taking action. So let us celebrate our successful efforts so far and vigorously continue our efforts to create a climate of awareness and participation!