New Zealand prime minister urges Harvard grads to choose kindness
“We are at a precipice, and rather than ask what caused it, today I want to talk about how we address it.”
CAMBRIDGE — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned Harvard’s graduating class Thursday morning to be wary of the “scourge” of disinformation that surrounds them as she gave her address for the school’s 371st commencement ceremony.
Ardern opened her speech with a tribute to the “esteemed guests” before her in Te Reo Maori, the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and then spoke of democracy, disinformation, and kindness.
“In the overwhelming challenges that lay in front of us, in our constant efforts to reach into the systems, the structures, the power, don’t overlook the impact of simple steps that are right in front of you. The impact that we each have as individuals. To make a choice to treat difference with empathy and kindness,” she said.
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