J.F.K.'s 'Strategy of Peace' By James Goldgeier June 9, 2013 Our problems are man-made. President Anderson, members of the faculty, board of trustees, distinguished guests, my old colleague, Senator Bob Byrd, who has earned his degree through many years of attending night law school, while I am earning mine in the next 30 minutes, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: It is with great pride that I participate in this ceremony of the American University, sponsored by the Methodist Church, founded by Bishop John Fletcher Hurst, and first opened by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914. Among the many traits the peoples of our two countries have in common, none is stronger than our mutual abhorrence of war. It will require increased understanding between the Soviets and ourselves. We must, therefore, persevere in the search for peace in the hope that constructive changes within the Communist Bloc might bring within reach solutions which now seem beyond us. February 1, 2023 I realize the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of warand frequently the words of the pursuers fall on deaf ears. Agreements to this end are in the interests of the Soviet Union as well as ours -- and even the most hostile nations can be relied upon to accept and keep those treaty obligations and only those treaty obligations which are in their own interest. By sponsoring this institution of higher learning for all who wish to learn, whatever their color or their creed, the Methodists of this area and the Nation deserve the Nation's thanks, and I commend all those who are today graduating. Even though it is less famous, it is my favorite 20th century speech. [applause] We shall be prepared if others wish it. His books include The End of Science, The End of War and Mind-Body Problems, available for free at mindbodyproblems.com. Countless millions of homes and farms were burned or sacked. But surely the acquisition of such idle stockpiles--which can only destroy and never create--is not the only, much less the most efficient, means of assuring peace. It would place the nuclear powers in a position to deal more effectively with one of the greatest hazards which man faces in 1963, the further spread of nuclear arms. Second: To make clear our good faith and solemn convictions on this matter, I now declare that the United States does not propose to conduct nuclear tests in the atmosphere so long as other states do not do so. He almost presents a method, a dream-and-do combination that soars with high vision and yet walk on earth with practical results. We have a story to tell about the differences between the two systems now competing for the hearts and minds of mankind. We all cherish our children's future. . If you are so inclined, we invite you to link to this web site from your piece: http://www.american.edu/jfk.". [16] The speech was met with some skepticism within the US. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. January 31, 2022, How Tobacco Laws Could Help Close the Racial Gap on Cancer, Interactive At the same time we seek to keep peace inside the non-Communist world, where many nations, all of them our friends, are divided over issues which weaken Western unity, which invite Communist intervention or which threaten to erupt into war. This page was last edited on 3 November 2013, at 10:43. 2023 Scientific American, a Division of Nature America, Inc. All we have built, all we have worked for, would be destroyed in the first 24 hours. Dated December 28, 1962", Encyclopedia of the Sixties: A Decade of Culture and Counterculture, "COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C., JUNE 10, 1963", JFK and the Unspeakbale. He wanted to find a way to lift the nuclear sword of Damocles from above the worlds head before it was too late. For we are both devoting massive sums of money to weapons that could be better devoted to combating ignorance, poverty, and disease. The speech, delivered at AU's 49th Commencement on June 10, 1963, and written by Kennedy's primary speechwriter, Ted Sorensen, is known as one of Kennedy's finest orations. The following day, Kennedy announced his administration's support for a strong new federal civil-rights bill. The speech was reviewed and edited by Kennedy and Sorensen on the return flight from Honolulu days before the address. We do not need to jam foreign broadcasts out of fear our faith will be eroded. But it can--if it is sufficiently effective in its enforcement and if it is sufficiently in the interests of its signers--offer far more security and far fewer risks than an unabated, uncontrolled, unpredictable arms race. So let us persevere. Noteworthy are his comments that the United States was seeking a goal of "complete disarmament" of nuclear weapons and his vow that America "will never start a war". March 23, 2023 Yeah, that's peace all right. We will not be the first to resume. The Soviet leader subsequently told Under Secretary of State Averell Harriman that it was the greatest speech by any American president since Roosevelt. Ten days later, U.S. and Soviet negotiators reached a deal to set up a hotline between Washington and Moscow. And it is the responsibility of all citizens in all sections of this country to respect the rights of all others and to respect the law of the land. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. The high point of Kennedy's speech, for me, was when he repudiated the notion that permanent peace is a utopian fantasy. World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor--it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement. And the elimination of war and arms is clearly in the interest of both. I am taking this opportunity, therefore, to announce two important decisions in this regard. By sponsoring this institution of higher learning for all who wish to learn, whatever their color or their creed, the Methodists of this area and the Nation deserve the Nation's thanks, and I commend all those who are today graduating. So it is easy to see why Ted Sorensen later called Kennedys AU speech the most important and the best speech he ever gave and why Time magazine named it to its list of the top ten commencement speeches. Washington, D.C. Our commitment to defend Western Europe and West Berlin, for example, stands undiminished because of the identity of our vital interests. And no nation in the history of battle ever suffered more than the Soviet Union in the Second World War. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. First: Chairman Khrushchev, Prime Minister Macmillan, and I have agreed that high-level discussions will shortly begin in Moscow looking toward early agreement on a comprehensive test ban treaty. We must give peace a chance. US ratification occurred by the U.S. Senate on September 24, 1963, by a vote of 8019[3] and the treaty was signed into law by Kennedy on October 7, 1963. And history teaches us that enmities between nations, as between individuals, do not last forever. The university already had a scheduled commencement speaker, Pauline Frederick, a journalist who had graduated from AU. The conclusion of such a treaty, so near and yet so far, would check the spiraling arms race in one of its most dangerous areas. There is no single, simple key to this peace--no grand or magic formula to be adopted by one or two powers. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvableand we believe they can do it again. "[9], The content of the speech was unapologetically "dovish" in its pursuit of peace. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of Scientific American. And second: Let us reexamine our attitude towards the Soviet Union. "World peace, like . We need not accept that view. Global Health Program, Why the Situation in Cuba Is Deteriorating, In Brief April 25, 2023 And every graduate of this school, every thoughtful citizen who despairs of war and wishes to bring peace, should begin by looking inward--by examining his own attitude toward the possibilities of peace, toward the Soviet Union, toward the course of the cold war and toward freedom and peace here at home. ", "For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. Too many of us think it is impossible. I realize that the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of war--and frequently the words of the pursuer fall on deaf ears. He was no longer worried about missile gaps and Soviet military superiority. And is not peace, in the last analysis, basically a matter of human rights--the right to live out our lives without fear of devastation--the right to breathe air as nature provided it--the right of future generations to a healthy existence? And man can be as big as he wants. And even in the cold warwhich brings burdens and dangers to so many countries, including this nations closest alliesour two countries bear the heaviest burdens. If you haven't already seen it, we have put together a web site about the Strategy of Peace speech, which includes articles, photos, videos, other artifacts from the time (1963 student newspaper coverage, White House typewritten text of the speech, speechwriter Ted Sorenson's AU Commencement speech about the JFK AU Commencement speech, etc), and current reflections from a series events held at American University over the past few months. On November 19, 1962, Khrushchev had submitted a report to the Central Committee of the Communist Party that implicitly called for a halt in foreign intervention to concentrate on the economy. Such a declaration is no substitute for a formal binding treatybut I hope it will help us achieve one. For there can be no doubt that if all nations could refrain from interfering in the self-determination of others, the peace would be much more assured. Also, I just received the following email from Camille LePre of American University: "We were delighted to see your insightful piece in Scientific American about JFK's peace speech at American University! And even in the Cold War, which brings burdens and dangers to so many countries, including this Nation's closest alliesour two countries bear the heaviest burdens. It must be dynamic, not static, changing to meet the challenge of each new generation. At the time he made that speech (I recall that as being the original form of that chapter) Algeria was still ruled by France. No problem of human destiny is. In 1995 he gave the acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, an international organization of scientists and public figures in which he served in leadership positions from 1982 to 1997. Nor would such a treaty be a substitute for disarmament, but I hope it will help us achieve it. Officially titled " The Strategy for Peace ," the speech was significant because it asked Americans to rethink the U.S. relationship with the Soviet Union and support finding ways for the two. No government or social system is so evil that its people must be considered as lacking in virtue. Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament. Our hope must be tempered [audience applause] Our hopes must be tempered with a caution of historybut with our hopes go the hopes of all mankind. Whether it was FDR ending the pretense that the United States would remain rigidly neutral in World War II in a speech at the University of Virginia, or George W. Bush warning Americans of the growing need for preemptive (actually, preventive) action abroad in an address at West Point, major foreign policy turning points are sometimes announced on college campuses. That was the end of atmospheric nuclear detonations by the U.S. and Soviet Union. This problem has been solved! First: Chairman Khrushchev, Prime Minister Macmillan, and I have agreed that high-level discussions will shortly begin in Moscow looking toward early agreement on a comprehensive test ban treaty. We must show it in the dedication of our own lives--as many of you who are graduating today will have a unique opportunity to do, by serving without pay in the Peace Corps abroad or in the proposed National Service Corps here at home. Our interests converge, however, not only in defending the frontiers of freedom, but in pursuing the paths of peace. Speaking at the commencement of American University, Washington, D.C., on June 10, 1963, Kennedy talked about "the most important topic on earth: world peace.". Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at, U.S. Never Really Ended Creepy "Total Information Awareness" Program*, A Bloomsday Appreciation of Ulysses by James Joyce, Greatest Mind-Scientist Ever, surveys I've carried out for more than a decade now, most people favor Obama's pessimistic view, The evidence for this hypothesis is flimsy, Thanksgiving and the Myth of Native American 'Savages', The Problem with Protesting Violence with Violence. Khrushchev was deeply moved and impressed by Kennedy's speech, telling Undersecretary of State Averell Harriman that it was "the greatest speech by any American President since Roosevelt."[13][14]. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and build a better life for their childrennot merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and womennot merely peace in our time but peace in all time. What city is mentioned by President John F. Kennedy in his speech "Towards a Strategy of Peace"? A dominant premise during the Kennedy years was the need to contain communism at any cost. Released January 20, 1963. And, for our part, we do not need to use threats to prove we are resolute. Kennedy traveled the five miles to AUs campus by helicopter. ISBN 9781448189762. Our hopes must be tempered with the caution of history--but with our hopes go the hopes of all mankind. ISBN 9780786454556. Our interests converge, however, not only in defending the frontiers of freedom, but in pursuing the paths of peace. Brand Strategy; Describe Your Project * For we can seek a relaxion of tensions without relaxing our guard. While we proceed to safeguard our national interests, let us also safeguard human interests. At least 20 million lost their lives. A Strategy of Peace - Wikisource, the free online library A Strategy of Peace A Strategy of Peace (1963) by John F. Kennedy related portals: Speeches. For we can seek a relaxation of tension without relaxing our guard. Confident and unafraid, we labor onnot towards a strategy of annihilation but toward a strategy of peace. I'm not a big fan of the literary sub-genre of political rhetoric, even the best examples of which usually reduce to schmaltzy, self-aggrandizing propaganda. Historian and Special Assistant Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. observed in his diary, "from the viewpoint of orderly administration, this was a bad way to prepare a major statement on foreign policy. "We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth: we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes." According to Special Assistant Ted Sorensen the speech was kept confidential in fear that the unprecedented tone would "set off alarm bells in more bellicose quarters in Washington" and allow political attacks against Kennedy in advance of the speech. Anca Gata described Ted Sorensen as "the chief architect of the speech in language, style, composition, and rhetoric. It led to the Partial Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and a thaw in the Cold War between America and the Soviet Union. Genuine peace must be the product of many nations, the sum of many acts. . We must deal with the world as it is, and not as it might have been had the history of the last 18 years been different. Speaking of other nations, I wish to make one point clear. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. To adopt that kind of course in the nuclear age would be evidence only of the bankruptcy of our policyor of a collective death-wish for the world. Our diplomats are instructed to avoid unnecessary irritants and purely rhetorical hostility. And above all, while defending our own vital interests, nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or a nuclear war. We do not now expect a war. "When a man's way please the Lord," the Scriptures tell us, "he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." answer choices . It has been urgently sought by the past three administrations. Peace need not be impracticable, and war need not be inevitable. But we can still hail the Russian people for their many achievementsin science; in space; in economic and industrial growth; in culture; in acts of courage. By defining our goal more clearly, by making it seem more manageable and less remote, we can help all peoples to see it, to draw hope from it, and to move irresistibly towards it. In late May, Kennedy tasked Ted Sorensen with writing a speech that woulddo two things: lay out his vision of how the United States could live in peace with its major adversary, and reinvigorate the foundering eight-year effort to negotiate a nuclear test ban treaty. All we have built, all we have worked for, would be destroyed in the first 24 hours. But we shall also do our part to build a world of peace where the weak are safe and the strong are just. We will not [applause] We will not be the first to resume. Starting May 1, 2023, the Museum will be open 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. So, let us not be blind to our differencesbut let us also direct attention to our common interests and the means by which those differences can be resolved. Commencement addresses have figured prominently in American foreign policy. We do not need to jam foreign broadcasts out of fear our faith will be eroded. One step in this direction is the proposed arrangement for a direct line between Moscow and Washington, to avoid on each side the dangerous delays, misunderstandings, and misreadings of the other's actions which might occur at a time of crisis. The pursuit of disarmament has been an effort of this Government since the 1920's. In too many of our cities today, the peace is not secure because the freedom is incomplete. There is the poverty and despair in the emerging nations . Today, should total war ever break out againno matter howour two countries will be the primary target. The Communist drive to impose their political and economic system on others is the primary cause of world tension today. Finally, alluding to the struggle of blacks for civil rights, Kennedy acknowledged that peace without justice is hollow.