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REMARKS OF RAISA GORBACHEV AT WELLESLEY COLLEGE
COMMENCEMENT
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to be with you at this momentous and
exciting day when you are leaving your college and entering
a new life. I congratulate you on this important occasion. I
am grateful to Mrs. Barbara Bush and to the college
administration for this chance of coming to Wellesley during
our stay in America. I thank college officials professors,
and all of you for your kinds words and warm feelings.
I distinctly remember a similar summer day in Moscow. The
years of my studies at Moscow University were over. We were
then full of plans and hopes just like you are today. Being
young is a marvelous time, a time of actions and
expectations, of being confident of one's abilities and sure
that everything is still ahead. I wish that all your dreams
of the future come true.
The President of the Soviet Union asked me to convey to
you his warm regards. He also wishes you happy roads in your
life. We know that people in America show great interest in
what is happening in the Soviet Union, the land of
perestroika. This word nowadays sounds the same in all the
languages of the world. 'We associate with perestroika the
future of our country, whose millions of people speak over
120 languages. Perestroika was conceived and is being
implemented for the sake of the people, their dignity, and
quality. Its goal is to make humane ideals and values a
reality. This vast and difficult task is a top challenge,
but we are confident that perestroika will succeed. The
guarantee of that is the patriotism and talent of our
people, their tenacity, their strength, and their desire to
overcome obstacles on the way, on the road they chose.
In renewing our country we want to make it open to the
world. The Soviet people know the value of peaceful life. We
wish to have good relations with the Americans and other
peoples. Of course, all of us, daughters and sons of our own
countries and peoples are different. The Soviet Union and
the United States have different histories, traditions, and
cultures. That, however, is not the reason for mutual
estrangement and suspicion. People on both sides of the
great ocean realize more and more clearly there are values
that bring us closer. Such values are love for one's own
native country, love for one's relatives, children, the
belief in what is good, belief in solidarity to combat wars,
violence, hunger, catastrophes, and other threats to
mankind. These values are now more important than anything
else. Hamlet's question, "To be or not to be," today
confronts not only individuals or nations, but the entire
humanity. So what will our society be like? Not only the
leaders of states, but the world community as a whole, share
this responsibility.
We women have our special mission. Always, even in the
most cruel and troubled times, women have had the mission of
peacemaking, humanism. mercy, and kindness. And if people in
the world today are more confident of a peaceful future, we
have to give a great deal of credit for that to women, who
are active in advocating friendship, cooperation, and mutual
understanding among nations.
You are entering a complex and multifaceted world. Your
generation will soon assume The responsibility for
everything that takes place on our planet. May good luck and
happiness be with you. I wish you many good accomplishments.
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