It’s not that history repeats, or it rhymes, or people never learn, its that greed, fear and hatred are eternal. They are the enemies of those of us that would live in peace and love, those that would see each other as unique members of our species, able to be so similar and yet so different at the same time. We are all the flavours of the universe, brought together to make the smorgasbord of humanity, that can make our clothes, bake our bread, heal the sick and traverse the stars.

It is our differences, our variety, that makes us stronger, that makes us smarter, that enable us to grow as a species. Without minds that ask, “What If?” that look at the world with eyes a little bit different than ours and see things in ways we never thought of before, we may have never discovered fire, the wheel, penicillin, a thousand ways we have extended life, saved lives, made our existence better, easier for so many.

The forces of greed, of fear, of hatred, can gain so much ground, can attain so much power, if we let them, if we succumb to their words, their entreaties to hate each other, fear each other, hoard more than we need from helping each other.

We know we can make enough, grow enough, care enough for each and every person so that they all have what they need to survive and thrive, it is just that greed, fear and hatred have coerced us not to.

We must fight those feelings, those dark impulses, in others and ourselves, to make a life, a community, a society, that is worthy of us all.

Zainab Carver -  Speech at International First Nations Conference