by
James D. Wolfensohn
President
The World Bank Group
Great Hall Of The People, China, May 28, 2000
Hello. I am James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, and I want you all to know how very sorry I am that I cannot be with you this evening for what I think is a momentous occasion. My family and I have been long interested in the Special Olympics. We know it to be one of the most remarkable initiatives that has been taken on a global basis. And tonight, when we bring together The Chinese Disabled Persons Federation and Special Olympics China to launch this new initiative in your country, I would surely have wished that I could have been with you.
Empowering people of all types in a society is crucial to get the best out of that society. And what the Special Olympics does is to give recognition and encouragement to a very important segment of society -- those with mental disabilities.
The Special Olympics, you will find, is a sterling example of how a government and its people can embrace all members of society. And I have absolutely no doubt that in the months and years ahead, all of you who are here tonight, and many other thousands of people around the country will benefit from this remarkable endeavor.
I have very little doubt that some years from now, you will have the largest and best Special Olympics in the world, and tonight is the beginning of that initiative.
I wish you good fortune, and I am absolutely certain that this initiative will be a light, not just to China, but to the world. |
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