IN THE NEWS:
Speaking out against a violent leader
As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon has a heavy responsibility. He has to speak up for peace. Sometimes, he has to criticise government leaders who have not been behaving themselves.
The President of Syria, for example, has been using violence to crush protests against his rule. Mr Ban made a speech telling off the President of Syria in plain language: "Stop the violence. Stop killing your own people. The path of repression is a dead end."
However, Mr Ban knew that it is normal for people to feel insulted when they are scolded by foreigners. So, in his speech, he also quoted the words of Ibn Khaldun, a famous and respected Arab thinker from six centuries ago: "Leaders can lead only with the will of the people." Syria is an Arab country. By quoting an Arab thinker, Mr Ban was building goodwill. He showed that he respected Arabs' history and culture.
Speaking out against a violent leader
Picture: UNITED NATIONS
As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon has a heavy responsibility. He has to speak up for peace. Sometimes, he has to criticise government leaders who have not been behaving themselves.
The President of Syria, for example, has been using violence to crush protests against his rule. Mr Ban made a speech telling off the President of Syria in plain language: "Stop the violence. Stop killing your own people. The path of repression is a dead end."
However, Mr Ban knew that it is normal for people to feel insulted when they are scolded by foreigners. So, in his speech, he also quoted the words of Ibn Khaldun, a famous and respected Arab thinker from six centuries ago: "Leaders can lead only with the will of the people." Syria is an Arab country. By quoting an Arab thinker, Mr Ban was building goodwill. He showed that he respected Arabs' history and culture.
