Sonia Gandhi,
Chair of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Shri Shivshankar Menon
Distinguished members of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust,
Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear friends,
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, which has been conferred upon me by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. I wish to extend my special thanks to all those who are part of this Trust, as well as to the members of Indira Gandhi’s family. I am profoundly honored by this distinction.
Before I continue, I cannot fail to acknowledge the tragic attack that struck this city last week, claiming nine lives and injuring many others. My deepest condolences go to the families who have lost loved ones, and my heartfelt wishes for the recovery of all those who were wounded. We know that violence is never the way. Peace — one of Indira Gandhi’s deepest convictions — must always guide us forward.
And yet, even in moments of sorrow, the spirit and resilience of this nation shine through. It is a true privilege to be once again in India, a country of extraordinary cultural richness, profound history, and vibrant diversity. Standing here, one cannot help but feel the weight and beauty of this land, where ancient civilizations gave birth to philosophy, science, and art that still illuminate the world today. This is a country where tradition and modernity walk hand in hand, where the past speaks through every stone, and hope shines in every face. From its timeless wisdom to its modern achievements, India has always been a source of inspiration for the world. The generosity, wisdom, and vitality of the Indian people are a living testament to the strength of community and the power of shared purpose.
I recall my first visit here in 2009, on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between our two countries, when I was serving as President of Chile. The warmth and hospitality we received left a lasting impression. Two years earlier, in 2007, our nations had signed the Preferential Trade Agreement, which helped strengthen our partnership and sustain growth even amid one of the most severe global economic crises in modern times.
Today, I wish to pay tribute to the remarkable life and legacy of Indira Gandhi, a visionary woman and a tremendous source of inspiration for so many people around the world. Her legacy, one that sought to enlarge freedom for humankind while pursuing peace, justice, and progress, remains more alive than ever. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, committed to carrying forward the work she began and to supporting the causes she held dear, continues to honor her vision.
She believed that nations could prosper only if they lived in harmony with one another. This belief feels even more urgent in today’s fragmented world, marked by multiple conflicts and challenges that no nation can solve alone.
One of these challenges is the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Let us not forget that Indira Gandhi was among the first world leaders to recognize that the future of humanity depends on our relationship with nature, and on our duty to protect the environment. This truth remains more compelling and urgent than ever.
One of the very causes that deeply moved Indira Gandhi is also what inspired me to enter politics: to improve the welfare of the people.
Early in my life, I realized that people’s well-being is intrinsically linked to the respect for human rights. Peace and progress are inseparable from human dignity, and without human rights, the full development of our potential as human beings becomes impossible.
I have witnessed this throughout my life — in my roles as Minister of Health and Defense, President of Chile, Executive Director of UN Women, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The defense of human rights never ends. We must always safeguard the essential freedoms of all people.
As Indira Gandhi once said, and I quote: “Peace, like freedom and progress, is indivisible. If freedom is crushed anywhere, it does diminish the freedom of all others.” End of quote.
Her words resonate deeply today, reminding us that we must continue to defend human rights everywhere, and always. It is precisely for this reason that the struggle for human rights is inseparable from the defense of democracy. Though not perfect, democracy remains the best system we have built. Yet democracies must deliver; they must respond to the urgent needs of their people; otherwise, they risk becoming irrelevant and losing their very meaning.
Peace has also been one of my lifelong commitments. I have always upheld an unwavering commitment to peace, global security, and nuclear disarmament. The threat posed by nuclear weapons remains among the most pressing concerns of our time. Their existence continues to endanger not only our generation but those yet to come. Therefore, we must redouble our collective efforts to move toward a world free of nuclear weapons. We cannot forget the horrific humanitarian consequences of their use, nor the incompatibility between their possession and use with International Humanitarian Law and the International Human Rights System.
Another of my lifelong struggles has been the fight for gender equality. In 2012, while serving as Executive Director of UN Women, I was here in Delhi participating in the 7th Conference of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, where we worked alongside leaders committed to advancing equality between women and men, girls and boys, within families, in societies, and in parliaments across all nations. Because women represent half of the world’s talent, capacities, and potential — and deserve the same rights and opportunities as men.
While we have made progress in this struggle, there is still a long road ahead. Today, women hold only 27 percent of parliamentary seats and 30 percent of managerial positions. At this pace, equality in leadership will take another hundred years. Far too long to wait for what is rightful. Our collective effort to break barriers, to end gender discrimination, and to open new spaces for all women must continue, stronger than ever.
We cannot simply wait for change to come. As Indira Gandhi wisely said, and I quote: “In life opportunities are not given, they are made and taken.” End of quote.
It is up to all of us to continue creating opportunities for the girls and women of today and of tomorrow.
Dear friends,
I accept this award knowing that it is not only a recognition of my own journey, but also of the countless women and men who have believed in — and worked alongside me and many others — for a fairer, freer, and more peaceful world. We know that such a world is within our reach if we dare to build it together.
Let us honor Indira Gandhi’s enduring vision by working together every day, across nations, generations, and differences. That is the only way we can build a world where peace, equality, and dignity are not aspirations, but realities for all.
May this honor renew in us the conviction that every step toward peace, every act of justice, and every voice raised for equality brings humanity closer to the future that Indira Gandhi dreamed of, and that we –together– must continue to make real.
Thank you very much. Dhanyavaad.
The ex-Chilean president Michelle Bachelet Jeria said this in her Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace acceptance speech. It has been published with permission from the Congress.