power speech

26 • EXTRAORDI ARY LIVES ISSUE 6 han g e t e w orld his countrymen and women to non-violent resistance to British rul e. He was arrested by the police, and gave his great speech – the classic statement of non-violent resistance – to the court on March 23, 1922. Non-violence is the first arti cle of my faith. It is the last arti cle of my faith. But I had to make my choice. I had either to submit to a system which I considered has done an irreparable harm to my country or incur the risk of the mad fury of my people bursting forth when they understood th e truth from my lips. I know that my people have sometimes gone mad. I am deeply sorry f or it; and I am therefore, here, to submit not a light penalty but to the highest penalty. I do not ask for mer cy. I do not plead any extenuating act. I am here; therefo re, to invite and submit t o the highest penalty that can be inflicted upon me for what in law is a deliberate crime and what appears to me to be the highest duty of a citizen. . . . andhi’s essential humility and honesty – and stubbornness – shine through the simple words. This is great oration because f its clarity and directness. What ef fect did it have? The judge sentenced Gandhi to ix years in prison; it was the first of several incarcerations for Gandhi before the force f his rhetoric and the non- violent resistance of his people drove the British out f India some 25 years later. n 1961, President John F. Kenne y ga ve one o f the most stirring inaugural addresses a president has ver given. The Cold War was raging, and what most have forgotten is that the peech is in fact from the tart a call to arms against ommunism. But the part of the speech that truly changed the world, and that is remembered because of that, comes at te en : In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shr ink from this responsibility; I welcome it. I The Trojan War was not going well for he Greeks. Achilles, the Greeks’ big threat, was sulking in his tent, refusing to come out nd fight. Apparently, he was something of a manic depressive, prone to fits of the blues. Agamemnon, the Greek leader, sent a group of his best rators – Odysseus (a gifted liar), Ajax (the Greeks’ second best fighter) and Phoinix (Achilles’ old tutor) to plead with Achilles, get him out of his tent and start slaughtering Trojans gain. The speakers flattered Achilles, telling him how much he was missed on the battlefield, painted lurid pictures of the ost of failure to the Greeks, nd promised him wine, women and songs of praise if he would only bestir himself nd g et to work. Eventually, it worked. Achilles pulled himself together, began butchering Trojans again, nd the tides of war slowly began to turn. This is one of the earliest xamples of persuasive public speaking – speeches hat literally changed the world. To be sure, the precise historical facts of the Trojan War are a bit elusive, but historians agree that the ough outlines at least are as Homer depicted them. Speeches have been hanging the world ever since – when the right combination f speaker, audience, and oment come together, great public speaking does change he world irrevocably. There are hundreds of xamples, but I’ll look at hree: truth-telling from Mahatma Gandhi in 1922, inspirational leadership from John F. Kennedy in 1961, and xtraordinary courage from Nelson Mandela in 1964. Each f these speeches has lessons for speakers everywhere; taken ogether, they are a primer on how to change the world. In 1922, Gandhi was travelling around India exhorting LOBAL SPEAKERS SUMMIT n The Power of S ech to Nelson Mandela

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26 • EXTRAORDI ARY LIVES ISSUE 6

hange t e worldhis countrymen and women to non-violent resistance toBritish rule. He was arrested by the police, and gave hisgreat speech – the classic statement of non-violent resistance– to the court on March 23, 1922.

Non-violence is the first article of my faith. It is the last articleof my faith. But I had to make my choice. I had either to submitto a system which I considered has done an irreparable harm to

my country or incur the risk of the mad fury of my people bursting forth when they understood the truth from my lips. I know that my people have sometimes gone mad. I am deeply sorry for it; and I am therefore, here, to submit not a light penalty but to the highest

penalty. I do not ask for mercy. I do not plead any extenuating act. I am here; therefore, to invite and submit to the highest penalty

that can be inflicted upon me for what in law is a deliberatecrime and what appears tome to be the highest duty of acitizen. . . .

andhi’s essentialhumility and honesty –

and stubbornness – shinethrough the simple words.This is great oration becausef its clarity and directness.

What effect did it have? The judge sentenced Gandhi to

ix years in prison; it was thefirst of several incarcerationsfor Gandhi before the forcef his rhetoric and the non-

violent resistance of hispeople drove the British outf India some 25 years later.

n 1961, President JohnF. Kenne y gave one of the most stirring inauguraladdresses a president hasver given. The Cold War

was raging, and what mosthave forgotten is that thepeech is in fact from thetart a call to arms againstommunism. But the part of

the speech that truly changedthe world, and that is remembered because of that, comes att e en :

In the long history of the world, only a few generations havebeen granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximumdanger. I do not shrink from this responsibility; I welcome it. I

The Trojan War was not going well forhe Greeks. Achilles, the Greeks’ big threat,

was sulking in his tent, refusing to come outnd fight. Apparently, he was something of a

manic depressive, prone to fits of the blues.Agamemnon, the Greek leader, sent a group of his best

rators – Odysseus (a gifted liar), Ajax (the Greeks’ secondbest fighter) and Phoinix (Achilles’ old tutor) to plead withAchilles, get him out of his tent and start slaughtering Trojansgain.

The speakers flattered Achilles, telling him how much hewas missed on the battlefield, painted lurid pictures of theost of failure to the Greeks,nd promised him wine,

women and songs of praise if he would only bestir himself nd get to work. Eventually,

it worked. Achilles pulledhimself together, began

butchering Trojans again,nd the tides of war slowlybegan to turn.

This is one of the earliestxamples of persuasive

public speaking – speecheshat literally changed the

world. To be sure, theprecise historical facts of theTrojan War are a bit elusive,but historians agree that theough outlines at least are as

Homer depicted them.

Speeches have beenhanging the world ever since– when the right combinationf speaker, audience, andoment come together, great

public speaking does changehe world irrevocably.

There are hundreds of xamples, but I’ll look athree: truth-telling from

Mahatma Gandhi in 1922,inspirational leadership from John F. Kennedy in 1961, andxtraordinary courage from Nelson Mandela in 1964. Eachf these speeches has lessons for speakers everywhere; takenogether, they are a primer on how to change the world.

In 1922, Gandhi was travelling around India exhorting

LOBAL SPEAKERS SUMMIT

The Power of S

ech to

Nelson Mandela