Dan getting ready on the start line

This was a motivational “speech” given to Daniel Greig just prior to his 1000m race at Salt Lake City. It was his last chance to post a qualifying time for the Olympic Games, and I was asked (by him) to give him a “pep-talk” prior to his race. It was delivered to him in the form of a “note” on an iPhone.

Dear little Dan,

I’ve known you for a long time. Ever since you were an annoying little shit skating around the rink formerly known as roller city Eltham. You know what’s weird? I feel like we’ve been here before. Not in salt lake city, but in this situation. I was there in colombia when you were literally cheated out of the track time trial… then what did you do? Oh yeah, you won the road time trial, and I became that guy in the hong kong team uniform who mysteriously knew all the words to the Australian national anthem.

What is it to be under pressure? Is it a song whose intro is often confused with a vanilla ice song? No. It is a force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. That’s the definition of pressure. I looked it up. And despite the obvious fact that you’re a little shorter than I am, for longer than I care to admit, I’ve looked up to you too.

Dude. You’ve been here before (not literally, but figuratively), and you’ve got what it takes. Now it’s up to you to do what you have to do. What you’ve been trained to do. Free your mind and focus. The flying spaghetti monster’s noodly appendage will keep you safe, and Josh will be trackside with the banana copter, should you require AIR support (see, I made a pun!).

This isn’t the first time we’ve tried something that was previously thought impossible, and it won’t be the last. I believe in you man. Good luck, and may the schwarz be with you!

This speech was prepared for the first meeting of the Columbia University Amnesty group, where I served as webmaster for one year. It was intended as an introduction to the world of Amnesty International including some of the history behind the organization.

Hi everyone and welcome to the first meeting. First of all, can everyone understand what I’m saying ok, is my voice clear enough? As you may have surmised from the way I speak, I’m not from around here. I’m from further south… 86th street, as a matter of fact.

“Open your newspaper any day of the week and you will find a story from somewhere of someone being imprisoned, tortured or executed because his opinions are unacceptable to his government, The newspaper reader feels a sickening sense of impotence. Yet if these feelings of disgust could be united into common action, something effective could be done.” So said Peter Benenson in his article “The Forgotten Prisoners”, published May 28th 1961 after he was incensed days earlier reading in a newspaper of a pair of Portuguese students who had raised their glasses in a toast to freedom and been imprisoned for seven years without trial for their troubles.

His article called on readers to write letters to free, or at the very least demand prompt and fair trial for so-called “prisoners of conscience”, people imprisoned for their beliefs, be they religious or merely politically inconvenient, and who have not used or advocated violence. The campaign: “Appeal for Amnesty 1961” snowballed into a permanent, international movement with over a million card-carrying members (and many, many more supporters) in over 150 countries around the world which we now know as “Amnesty International”.  The mandate of the movement has also expanded beyond prisoners of conscience (which only address articles 18 and 19 of the UDHR) to include all human rights abuses as defined in the UDHR. In 1977, Amnesty International was awarded the Nobel Peace prize.

Our vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all the human rights enshrined in the UDHR and other human rights instruments. This may seem a lofty and impossible goal, but it is known that in about one third of our letter-writing cases alone, an improvement is reported. Good results notwithstanding, letters from Amnesty supporters are a source of inspiration and hope, and when you are stuck in a jail cell with no guarantee that anybody knows of your whereabouts, inspiration and hope are in desperately short supply. A prisoner of conscience who I spoke to once related the feeling to me thus: “getting a letter from Amnesty is like being a thirsty man wandering the desert for days and finally finding a drop of water”.

Yet, in spite of the success of this organization, our task is enormous, and good results aren’t always immediate or forthcoming. But why do nothing when we can do a little? I, for one, couldn’t imagine a world without Amnesty International, I don’t think I’d want to live in it.

So I leave you with this: I challenge you all to think about how you can make a lasting contribution, however small, to humanity as a whole for it is your responsibility, your duty, to use your voice, as I have just used mine, to speak up for those who, through no fault of their own, have no voice.

(apologies for the very bad Spanish)

ante todo, quiero decir “¡A MI ME GUSTA!”. También, quiero dar las gracias a toda la gente por todo, especialmente mis maestros: Rebecca, Carlos y Chely. A pesar de mi estupidez, yo no caí una madriguera de conejo y yo aprendir alguno Español. También, quiero dar las gracias a mis amigos de otros paises por enseñanza frases en otros idiomas, por ejemplo “god ver domme”, “chupa meu pau”, y por supueso “neuken in de keuken”. La gente aquí en Guanajuato son muy amables. Yo voy a extrañar Guanajuato y toda la gente aquí… (pausa)… casí toda la gente aquí. Yo quiero quedarse aquí pero debo viajar por que el mundo es muy grande y tengo insuficiente tiempo. ¡Adios y buena suerte!

(yo creo yendo a llorar…)

English translation (what I meant…)

First of all, I would like to say “I REALLY LIKE!” [that was an in-joke in our class]. Also, I would like to give thanks everybody for everything, especially my teachers Rebecca, Carlos and Chely. In spite of my stupidity, I didn’t fall down any rabbit holes and I learned some Spanish. Also, I would like to give thanks to my friends from other countries for teaching me phrases in other languages, for example “god ver domme” (Dutch), “chupa meu pau” (Portuguese), and of course “neuken in de keuken” (Dutch). The people here in Guanajuato are very friendly. I am going to miss Guanajuato and all the people here… (pause)… almost all the people here. I would like to stay here but I must travel because the world is very big and I haven’t enough time. Goodbye and good luck!

(I think I’m going to cry…)

(for translations of the Dutch and Portuguese phrases, email me)

Thank you Jules. I too would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all to what is sure to be a very exciting and productive youth summit. For those who don’t know me, I’m not really worth getting to know and I thought I should just say so now so as to save you considerable grief in the future.

We are in trouble!

Who are we going to call? The ghost busters can’t help us now. Our enemy, unlike the slimy foe of our fictional would-be heroes, is very, very real. Our enemy is indifference.

What do we do? I wasn’t sure, so, being the good private-schooled spoilt snot that I am, I did what all good private-schooled spoilt snots do, I asked my dad. His reply – ask Mr. Costello, the treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia, he knows one or two things about the economy, perhaps he knows something of economic rights. “Fair enough”, I said, and off I went.

Now I don’t know about you people, but I am pretty terrible when it comes to names. At least that’s what John here [point to Jules] tells me. I couldn’t, for the life of me, tell which one of the Costello’s it was who was the treasurer. Was it Tim or was it Peter? I decided that I would seek out both.

Tim I found speaking at a dinner held for the newly-opened Human Rights Law Resource centre to which a number of my amnesty brethren (and sisteren…) were also invited. Tim spoke of the importance of human rights and the importance of economic, social and cultural rights and how they were often overlooked in favour of our old friend civil and political rights. He stirred and inspired us all and reminded us of the importance of the work that human rights organisations do. I wondered to myself, is this the treasurer? This is certainly a man I would like to be the treasurer.

Peter I found speaking at a dinner held for the old-boys club of an exclusive Melbourne private boys school, the Old Scotch Collegians Association. He drank lots, made a few racial slurs and some jokes about boys in kilts. He spoke of Australia’s vibrant economy, its position of influence in the region and, of course, joked of his aspirations to be Prime Minister of Australia. By this stage, I was pretty sure that I had my man in the treasurer. I was also surprised at how much I didn’t mind him as a person – no small miracle considering my attitude towards the upper echelons of the Australian Liberal Party.

What really surprised me was how much the two brothers agreed with each other. Their approach was notably different. However, I did not see a huge discrepancy in their desired end result. I was truly inspired by both of them to the same end, and that end is to inspire you here today.

We are all all too familiar with civil and political rights. Yes, they are very important, nobody is denying that. Perhaps one of the most important achievements of an organisation such as Amnesty International was the thrusting of these rights into the mainstream. Ask anyone on the street these days about human rights and, chances are, the answer will involve civil and political rights.

But to me, these human rights problems are simply the symptom of a much bigger problem. The cause of that problem begins with economic, social and cultural rights. These rights include the right to work, the right to education, certain standards of living, and health both physical and mental. All too often, the denial of these rights is right at the root of some of the biggest problems which we face in the world today.

We must, as in all human rights issues, raise awareness, interact with and educate the community around us. It is said that Satan’s greatest victory was to convince mankind that he didn’t exist. Whether you subscribe to religion or not, it doesn’t take a genius to recognise the cunning in an enemy of whose existence we are unaware. We must let the community know that these are not wishy-washy ghosts, but are very real and are the cause of some very real problems. We musn’t be indifferent and we must encourage others to do the same.

I am often asked by friends why I devote so much time and energy to such a difficult cause as human rights. I often respond with why not, and I’d like you to keep this thought in mind whenever you are considering difficult work in this area, or indeed any other area for that matter.

Thank you, please enjoy the summit… I’m here ‘till Sunday [wink]

I felt it was kind of strange being asked to give a speech for Andrew here today, I mean, I’ve only really known him for about two years. C’mon, hands up, who here has known Andrew for longer than I have? Yeah, I see quite a few hands, in fact, there’s hands all over the place. Its like a brothel on payday.

Wow, it doesn’t seem all that long ago that I was asking people to give speeches for my 21st, so to be asked to give a speech makes me feel… well… old. I mean, I’m 23 going on 50 and I look it. I certainly look old and wrinkled next to young Andrew who is, I must say, looking quite hot tonight.

I first encountered Andrew in the now infamous school maths olympics of 1999. While still in year 9, he captained a team which included a few people sitting here today to victory in the first ever schools maths olympics. This is all very well Daniel, you may say, but where do you come into this? Well, I happened to be captaining the team that came second, which incidentally also includes a few people sitting here.

So, even at this early age, Andrew’s cut-throat competitive edge was already starting to show. Mild-mannered and very hot he might seem in everyday situations, but when the real heat is on, his ‘dark side’ begins to show. Those of us who have played scrabble with him know only too well how he cheats by coming up with really good words and putting them across the triple word score squares.

In fact, he is so competitive, and he is such an avid perfectionist, that I sometimes get the impression that if he were to come out of a test and realise that he’s actually managed to lose a mark, that he might just start crying. This is a hypothesis which needs some testing, as it is a well-known fact that Andrew doesn’t lose marks in tests. Andrew is such a workaholic that he is to idleness as I am to tasteful comments.

Speaking of competitiveness, the mums AGM this year was a perfect example of this. Here I was, minding my own business, plotting to take over mums and Andrew rocks up and has the audacity to run against me. He won, of course. Bribing the first year uni high alumni with hentai must’ve done the trick, and in retrospect, I’m a little annoyed that I didn’t think of the idea first.

But every now and then, something happens that reminds Andrew that there is more to life than getting 100% or winning all the time… or being really really really ridiculously good looking. Like the time, just 11 days ago, when he was on a team that LOST the maths olympics. Not only did they loose, but they came third!!! I guess my questions were a little too difficult for you Andrew. Revenge is sweet.

But for all his ego-centric uber-competitiveness, and his fastidious workaholic nature, Andrew is a pretty cool guy. I mean, I’ve just stood here and harped on, doing what I usually do, which is accuse him of things which are mostly completely untrue just for shits and giggles, and he just takes it in his stride and laughs along, and looks very very hot.

Well Andrew, I guess this party is all about your ego and making you feel good about yourself. Choosing me to do a speech was a stroke of genius really. I am, in every way, your inferior. Your percentage average begins with a 9 while mine begins with a 4 (5 if you don’t count metric). You are the president of MUMS while I am just the lowly education officer. Your hentai collection dwarfs mine, who knows what else you might possess which dwarfs mine. And of course, you are certainly much hotter.

Oh Andrew when I speak to thee I feel
that your mental powers are unreal
you’ve shown us all more than mere
talent it takes to get to here

work, work and work given the chance
between classes, and before the dinner dance
but when will you stop and smell the roses?
in between photo shoots, ‘tween the poses?

live life to the full is all I say
lest you look back with dismay
on your life, its many rewards
and find you’ve just accumulated hordes

of stuff of which you hold no value
degrees, certificates, cash and what have you
savour every moment, every friend
because that’s what matters in the end

Andrew, it has not only been a pleasure to know you in these few short years, but is has also been a privilege. You are a good student, a good person and a great friend. Happy birthday.

Hello everyone. First I would like to thank whoever it was who suggested that I speak here today for giving me this opportunity. Those here that know me know well that I love the sound of my own voice and if there is one thing that I like more than volunteering to hear it, it is being volunteered to do so by somebody else.

I’ve been told to keep this speech to under ten minutes. To that end, I have written it out so that I may better control its duration, so I apologise in advance for reading this off a page – it is not something that I normally do. Do also keep in mind that I, as with most of my university exams, did the greater part of preparing for this speech in the early hours of this morning. I also apologise for the abysmally boring, and uninformative content of this speech and if I don’t make eye contact with you, please don’t take it personally. If you, like me, haven’t benefited from a good night’s sleep, I will not hold it against you should you decide to catch up over the next ten minutes or so.

(wait for silence)

Well, this is a rather awkward silence. Not unlike the awkward silence that I encountered once a while back in my later years in primary school, when I silenced a playground by yelling out a poorly thought-out abbreviation of the name of my friend Nicole. I shall leave that one to your imaginations.

But on the subject of silences and imagination, I would now like to lead into what I was actually asked to come and talk about. A product of my imagination which was borne out of such a moment of silence almost three years ago.

The famous French poet Victor Hugo once said that there is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come. He also believed that the poet’s purpose should be two-fold – firstly to echo universal sentiment by revealing his own feelings, uniting the voices of mankind, nature and history, and secondly to guide the reader, in other words, to lead the way.

And that is precisely what I chose to do.

To lead will always be more difficult than to follow, just ask any sheep. To find out just how absurd my idea was one need only go back in time two and a half years, ask anyone who often dwelt in the victorian amnesty office and they would tell you. They told me. But I would not be perturbed. For me, amnesty represents many things but above all else, I feel that the “spirit” (if you could call it that) of amnesty international is championing the indomitability of the human spirit.

So it began, a comedy night featuring Australia ‘s leading comedians for the benefit of amnesty international. Similar things had been done before, but in Australia nothing of this scale had ever been attempted, even the Oxfam Gala relied heavily on being the first event of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. I would be lying if I said that organising “Stand Up For Your Rights” was easy, so I wont. It was very difficult.

I had had some experience organising small events as president of the Melbourne University amnesty group, but in all seriousness, I had no idea what I was doing. I received some invaluable help from some of the most unusual places – comedians, managers and even some venue people. The sense of goodwill and peoples willingness to help was heartening and at times, that alone kept me going, all the time remembering that famous line from Victor Hugo, firm in the belief that the idea was all that was important, and that I had a good one.

I learned alot from this experience. I learned that there isn’t much trust between people these days, that everything must be “in writing” to be taken seriously. But despite all the cynicism, despite all the people who told me that it couldn’t be done, despite all the people who told me I was crazy, I persisted – stubborn almost to the point of pugnacity. I was out to organise a comedy night, but I was also out to change the world. I had a vision and I was going to stop at nothing to see it through.

Being young also had its advantages. Youth… that’s what we’re meant to be right? Well, while today’s youth is commonly associated with inexperience, naivety and arrogance. While some would count these as weaknesses, I prefer to see them as strengths. You see, I was just naive enough to have a clear idea of where I wanted to go while simultaneously having no idea of how difficult it would be to get there.

Well, c’mon, how hard could it possibly be? Get some comedians, set a date, get a venue, organise sound and lighting, sell some tickets… it couldn’t be easier, right? Well, as with all fairly complex tasks, there are “complications” and a fair degree of lateral thinking and sheer persistence was required to get things done. It was at this point that I drew inspiration from another hero of mine, this time Winston Churchill, who once said “never never never give up”. (and my academic record also reflects this)

At one particularly low point, the event was pretty much officially cancelled. It is here that I took a page out of the history books for advice. History teaches us that the greatest victories and achievements in civilisation almost always occur at times immediately following periods in which defeat seems inevitable. At this point, the writing seemed to be on the wall, so to speak. But as Omar Shariff said so well in the movie Lawrence of Arabia “truly for some men, nothing is written unless they write it”. If you think you are defeated, then you are.

I was not going to take no for an answer. I was not going to let others pluck my arrow from mid-air before it had a chance at the bull’s eye.

So, six weeks out from the proposed date, I pretty much re-organised the entire event around a different venue (the size of the venue was the problem, it was too big apparently). I went to the next branch committee meeting and made it clear, on no uncertain terms that I was not willing to take no for an answer, and luckily for them, they took the plunge and took a chance on an unproven 21-year-old to run the single biggest stand-alone event in amnesty international australia’s history (in terms of once-off expenditure anyway).

Needless to say, the nights were successful, which is probably why I’m standing here talking to you and not sitting there making cheap wisecrack comments. In 2003, we raised about $8,000 and had about 750 people in the audience, in 2004, we raised about $20,000 and there were almost 1600 people in the audience. In terms of activism, it invigorated many young activists, hand-picked by myself from various uni groups. The goodwill that it built up with comedians was also considerable, to the point that some of the comedians who have been involved occasionally mention the night in their gigs.

Amnesty international is about human rights, sure. But at the heart of it, it is about so much more. Its about the indomitability of the human spirit, its about people standing up for their rights, in the face of almost impossible odds and it is also about empowering people to do that, to give them hope that not all their effort is in vain. I have sacrificed greatly for this event, some of you may be surprised to learn that I recently came within a hair’s breadth of being expelled from uni for failing too many subjects. But when I put things in perspective, when I think about the people whom we write letters about, I can’t help but think that my sacrifices pale in comparison to theirs. They inspire me.

Amnesty is about an idea whose time has come. Never forget who the candle burns for, as the late amnesty founder Peter Benenson said “ The candle burns not for us, but for all those whom we failed to rescue from prison, who were shot on the way to prison, who were tortured, who were kidnapped, who “disappeared”. That is what the candle is for”. Remember them, let their struggle inspire you. Whenever you think “oh this is too hard”, “I have no idea what I’m doing” (something that I often think) or “what could one person possibly amount to”, think of them. You would also do well to go to your dictionaries, look up the word “impossible” and cross it out. Impossible is nothing. Finally, I’d like to leave you with a quote from one of my favourite poets, Robert Frost – “Do not follow where the path may lead… go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”. Thank you.

This is the speech that I delivered when I ran for the position of president of the Melbourne University Mathematics and Statistics Society (MUMS). I was unsuccessful. I was, instead, elected to the position of Education Officer.

Hello everyone, how are we all today? My name is Daniel Yeow, I’m currently in the 6th year of a 5 year BA/BSc double degree, in my previous term I was third year rep and I am here to tell you why I would make a good MUMS president.

I am a man of many talents. I can move my ears, I can solve a rubik’s cube in under a minute and I can make an inappropriate sexual innuendo out of almost any sentence in almost any situation. But THAT is not why you should vote for me to be the president of MUMS. Sure, these talents are very useful, sure it is true that past presidents of MUMS have generally been very talented individuals, but what is it really that an organisation requires, needs – no demands from its president. It demands leadership.

Like the Alexanders, Caesars and Churchills before me I do not aim to be merely a good leader. I wish to be a great leader, and like all great leaders who have been before, I wish to lead by example. Julius Caesar fought in the front lines of his infantry and I have been inspired to do likewise. I plan to not only talk the talk, but also to walk the walk. I’m a doer, and those of you who know me well, will know that I will not shy away from hard work, when hard work is what’s required.

Sure, I may not be the most capable mathematician running for president, or the MUMS committee for that matter, but my academic record betrays a more important trait, I believe – an indomitable will. A will that will not give up at the first sign of failure (or the second in some cases). I believe that my ‘average’ abilities in mathematics will enable me to better relate to the vast majority of people in MUMS. We can’t all be math Olympiad medallists or academic prize winners after all.

The MUMS committee has, in the past, been accused of being cliquey. There is a perception that we are just a bunch of know-it-alls with our in-jokes in paradox and that we are out of touch with the general population. I wish to change all that. I wish to preside over a MUMS which is more approachable, more user-friendly, all the while without loosing our real aim – to make maths fun for everyone, not just a select talented few.

I’ve been president of Amnesty International, I’ve been president of the Eltham Roller Skating Club and I’ve had a little bit of experience organising the odd event here and there. I will bring my own unique brand of direction and leadership to MUMS. I will marry my experience with my expertise in the field of leadership. I love maths and it is my vision to share that love with everyone.

THAT is what I am all about. I may or may not be the most obvious choice for a MUMS president. I may not have all the academic credentials of a typical MUMS president. What I CAN promise is leadership with a sense of flair and imagination. Now I leave it in your capable hands. I trust you will make the right decision. Thank you.

Melbourne

This speech was written to be given at the beginning of the 2004 academic year by myself as the immediate past president of the group to the Melbourne University Amnesty International group. It was never actually delivered because the executive made a decision to, instead, start the year with a fun group activity.

Hello everybody and welcome to the first amnesty meeting for the year 2004. How is everybody today? Good? Happy to be here? For those don’t know me, my name is Daniel Yeow, I’m a Sagittarius, I like Pavlova, horse riding and long walks in the park. I’ve been a member of this group for nearly four years now and let me tell you now, that journey has been inspirational. In those four short years I have been witness to the work of some amazing individuals, individuals who have challenged the accepted standards of the day.

Standards, what are they? In the good ol’ days a standard was a big sign which you took into battle so that your troops wouldn’t get lost in the melee. Today we are surrounded by standards – standards of living, standards of education, health standards. We often talk about “minimum standards”, very unlike standard-bearers from the old days who were selected for being great champions and examples to which others could aspire to. Perhaps the evolution of the word is an indication of the times in which we live, that we are content to be satisfied with a bare minimum standard.

And why not? The world we live in is a much more advanced and civilized one compared to when standard-bearers lead their men in Gaugamela, Cannae and Zama. I, for one, believe that the establishment of minimum *living* standards is about as important a step in human evolution as the invention of agriculture, ok… maybe not quite as important, but certainly more important than, say, Ben and J-Lo’s wedding. (don’t even get me started on today’s journalistic standards).

But why do we care? We have all been brought up in a society with a very high standard of living. We are afforded great political freedom, indeed, we are afforded a great deal of freedom in general. But, just as people around the world are denied many of the bare minimum standards which we take for granted, we too set ourselves unusually low standards. We here, are all extraordinarily privileged, but how many of you will be content to leave university having learnt and experienced little more than that required to obtain your degree?

Someone once said, that the true measure of a person is to observe what they do when they have naught but free time. For all of you here who either don’t know or don’t realize, when one is at university, one will have A LOT of free time. What will you do with it?

This is where it starts. University, for many, is a person’s first real taste of absolute freedom. No one has to go to lectures, no one has to go to tutes, no one has to go to the next amnesty international meeting, it is entirely up to you. I believe, as this is a learning institution, that first and foremost you should learn as much as you can. Just remember that there is much more to be learnt than that which is taught in your subjects. Applying what you’ve learnt too is an important step, how are you going to challenge yourself? Will you raise your own standards? Don’t ever be fooled into thinking that the only thing that makes a difference around here is that piece of paper you get when you graduate.

Differences can be made everywhere. If you write a letter to a political prisoner it can be (and I’m quoting a real prisoner of conscience here) “like a drop of water to a thirsty man wandering the desert”. If many individuals each write a letter, it can set someone free. Never underestimate the difference that one person can make.

Last year, a member of this group decided that he would try and make a difference. He organized an amnesty comedy night, the first of its kind in Australia ever. He convinced many of Australia’s leading comedians including Paul McDermott, Wil Anderson and Dave o’Neil (among many others) to donate their time to a stage show in front of a thousand people under the banner of amnesty. Despite being a good fundraiser, its importance in raising awareness about human rights cannot be overstated. For nearly four hours last October, a thousand people were treated to an unforgettably enjoyable experience, not to mention the impact the event would have had on venue staff, stage crew and the like. All this, because of an idea that one person had. A person who, like you today, was sitting in this room and was unhappy about the state of human rights in the world.

This is not unlike the history of amnesty international itself. Founded in 1961 by a lawyer who read in the paper about some students, just like you, who were imprisoned without trial for seven years for raising their glasses in a toast to freedom. He wrote an article which called on readers to write letters to the Portuguese government to free these “Prisoners of Conscience”, and they were freed. The rest, as they say, is history.

And with that, I encourage you to learn as much as you can before you make any sort of commitment. I do hope though, that as you learn more about the state of human rights in the world you will be, as I have been, compelled to act. Its not much fun staring at the big picture of human rights abuses in the world (try reading amnesty international’s annual report in one sitting without getting depressed), but it does feel good to chip away at it, bit by bit. I challenge all of you to raise your standards and be the standard bearers of human rights here at the University of Melbourne, so that people living in countries where human rights are sub-standard, may one day enjoy the standards which we accept as standard. Thank you for listening.

My successor as president of the Melbourne University Amnesty International group, Anthony Nicholas, began a fairly regular weekly poetry reading on something human rights related. As the outgoing president, I was called on to present the first poem. It is not very good. The final paragraph is borrowed from the Norwegian poet Nordahl Grieg.

A toast to freedom, it was said
of that, they thought would come no harm
but wrong were they, as we have read
of the Portuguese police’s heavy arm

One day a man read in the news
‘bout these kids who were in prison
this did not, the man amuse
and inside the man, a fire was risen

He wrote an article, this man did
“The Forgotten Prisoners” it was called
it called on readers to write to rid
the world of abuses so appalled

This movement you are part of now
from one man sprang forth, so broad its scope
its members, so numerous can now allow
to place in the darkest corners, the flame of hope

With us you’ll find it’s not a bore
defending human rights, but be sure to spare
a thought for those whom the candle burns for
the one’s we missed, now in God’s care

So, remember this my friend
the reason that we gather here
is not just to achieve and end
but to journey rightly too, with cheer

In brutal strife
your sword and shield shall be
belief in life
and human dignity

This poem was delivered to the volunteer crew of the Amnesty International comedy gala “Stand Up For Your Rights” by Daniel Yeow about two hours before curtain, in an attempt to inspire them and also as a sound check for the microphone on the lectern.

Committee, Crew, Comedians, lend me your ears!

I come to raise your spirits not to bury them.

For today a turning point in history is reached,

In what history, you may ask? Only time will tell.

Indeed, the toll of time is told in my weary eyes,

Who have, for many moons been set on this sight,

This night, whose many nights without sleep did produce.

How then were we today, brought here for tonight?

The light that is lit in the darkness, brings us hence,

A spark, an idea, a small flame of hope to our defence,

But more than good seeds it takes, to bear good fruit.

Much toil and despair must be endured,

To honestly expect results so fair, but don’t jest

Breadths of hairs, and daring deeds dared,

Decided our fate in our many tests

We are not at the end, but at an intersection,

We must soldier on, endure the fire, beat down rejection

Do you, I ask, have it within you, to make this what it deserves to be?

Then use the power that is what it means to be free,

Do you believe that a good will can find its way in these uncertain times?

I do, though I now resort to reading mediocre rhymes.

Let no doubt in your mind endure

For we have come this far, and though farther still have we to go

Do not fear to tread, for the candle has been lit.

And although ships, when in harbour are considered safe

Harbours are not what ships are built for

For we have built the sure foundation for a great night

We must continue to set all that is wrong in the world to right

The power of laughter tonight, overcomes the devil’s might

The show must go on, be it hail, shine or rain

Tonight, you will be the blood that runs through this show’s veins

I see you stand, like greyhounds in the slips, straining to unleash strife

The game’s afoot: Join with me, stiffen the sinews,

Summon up the blood, and BRING THIS SHOW TO LIFE!