Since becoming Secretary of State, I have traveled to nearly every corner of the globe. Wherever I go, I make a point to meet not only with government officials, but also with ordinary citizens—especially young people. I want to hear their ideas about how we can find new ways to come together, support new foundations of understanding, and build hope for a better future.
More and more, I see communities and people turning their backs on old boundaries and barriers and finding new ways to bridge divides. That’s the idea behind “2011 Hours Against Hate,” a campaign to promote respect across lines of culture, religion, class, and gender. Together, we are asking people from around the world to volunteer 2011 hours on behalf of someone who doesn’t look like you, live like you, or pray like you. It can be learning about another religion, volunteering in a different community, or reaching out people from another culture to find out how they live.
I urge all of you to join this campaign; stand up and speak out against hate. Visit our Facebook page, “2011 Hours Against Hate” to learn more. Because more than dialogue and conversation, we need action.
Let’s join together and seize this moment. Because to chart a new course for the future, it has to be together.
