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南非自由二十周年英语演讲稿英国外交大臣威廉·黑格谈对南非的承诺LadiesandgentlemenIamdelightedtobeheretodaytoaddressthisdistinguishedaudienceonthisveryspecialoccasion.Asyouallknowtodaymarksthe20thanniversaryofSouthAfricasdemocracyandfreedom.TwentyyearsagoSouthAfricaemergedfromoverfortyyearsofapartheidruleasystemthathadinstitutionalizedracismsegregationanddiscriminationagainstthemajorityofitspeople.ThisdehumanizingsystemhadledtountoldsufferingviolenceandoppressionformillionsofSouthAfricans.Butthenin1994somethingremarkablehappened.ThecountryhelditsfirstdemocraticelectionswhichwerewonbytheAfricanNationalCongressANCanditsleaderNelsonMandela.TheANCwhichhadbeenbannedfordecadessuddenlyfounditselfinpower.MandelabecameSouthAfricasfirstblackpresidentandthecountrybeganaprocessoftransitionfromapartheidruletodemocracy.ThiswasamomentousoccasionnotonlyforSouthAfricabutfortheworld.Itwasasymbolofhopeofwhathumanityiscapableofachievingwhenitworkstogetherforacommongoal.Itshowedthateventhemostentrenchedsystemsofoppressioncanbeovercomewhenpeoplearewillingtostandupandfightforwhatisright.ButwhathashappenedsincethenHaveSouthAfricaspeopletrulybenefitedfromthefreedomthattheyfoughtsohardtoachieveThisisaquestionthatweneedtoanswerhonestlyandopenly.ThereisnodoubtthatSouthAfricahasmadesignificantprogressinthelasttwentyyears.Thecountryhasbuiltasolidinfrastructureexpandeditseconomyandenhanceditsdemocracy.Ithasalsomadestridesinaddressingsocialinequalitiesimprovingeducationandhealthcareservicesandempoweringpreviouslydisadvantagedcommunities.Howeverwealsoneedtoacknowledgethatmuchmorestillneedstobedone.TherearestilldeepsystemicchallengesthatSouthAfricaneedstoovercomesuchashighlevelsofinequalitypovertycrimeandcorruption.Theseissuesarecomplexandmultifacetedandtheyrequireasustainedeffortfromallsectorsofsocietytobetrulyresolved.Thisiswheretheinternationalcommunitycanplayavitalrole.DuringtheapartheideramanycountriesincludingtheUnitedKingdomplayedapivotalroleinpressuringtheSouthAfricangovernmenttoenditsracistpolicies.TodaywehaveasimilarresponsibilitytohelpSouthAfricaovercomeitscurrentchallengesandtorealizeitsfullpotentialasaprosperousdemocraticandjustsociety.WeneedtoreaffirmourcommitmenttoSouthAfricaspeopleaswedidduringtheanti-apartheidstruggle.Weneedtoinvestinstrategicpartnershipsthatcanhelpthecountrytoaddressitsmostpressingchallenges.WeneedtosupportcivilsocietyorganizationstheprivatesectorandgovernmentinstitutionsthatareworkingtirelesslytopromotesocialjusticeandhumanrightsinSouthAfrica.ButmostimportantlyweneedtoensurethatourengagementwithSouthAfricaisbasedonmutualrespecttrustandunderstanding.WemustrecognizethatSouthAfricaisasovereignnationwithitsownprioritiesneedsandaspirations.Wemustlistentoitspeoplelearnfromtheirexperiencesandworktogetherwiththemtofindsustainablesolutionstotheirchallenges.InconclusionletmesaythatSouthAfricasjourneytofreedomanddemocracyhasbeenaremarkableone.Ithasinspiredmillionsofpeoplearoundtheworldandshownthateventhemostdauntingobstaclescanbeovercome.Butthepathtotruefreedomandjusticeisalonganddifficultone.Itrequirespersistencededicationandcollectiveaction.Onthis20thanniversaryofSouthAfricasdemocracyandfreedomletusrenewourcommitmenttosupportingthecountryscontinuedgrowthandtransformation.Letusworktogethertocreateaworldwhereallpeoplecanliveindignityfreedomandfairnessregardlessoftheirracegenderreligionorethnicity.Thankyou.第PAGE页共NUMPAGES页。