AdolfoPérezEsquivel'sAcceptanceSpeech,ontheoccasionoftheawardoftheNobelPeacePrizeinOslo,December10,1980

(Translation)

YourMajesty,Mr.PresidentoftheNobelCommittee,CommitteeMembers,LadiesandGentlemen:

WithhumilityIstandbeforeyoutoreceivethehighdistinctionthattheNobelCommitteeandtheParliamentgranttothosewhohavecommittedtheirlivesonbehalfofpeaceandtothepursuitofjusticeandsolidarityamongnations.

IwouldliketoreceivethisawardinthenameofthepeopleofLatinAmericaandespeciallyinthenameofthepoorestandsmallestofmybrothersandsisters,whoarethemostbelovedchildrenofGod.Ireceiveitinthenameofmyindigenousbrothersandsisters,thepeasants,workers,andyoungpeople,inthenameofthethousandsofmembersofreligiousordersandofmenandwomenofgoodwill,whorenounceprivilegestosharethelifeandwayofthepoor,andwhostruggletobuildanewsociety.

Foramanlikemyself,asmallvoiceforthosewhohavenovoice,whostrugglessothatthecryofthepeoplemaybeheardinallitspower,foronewithoutanyspecialidentityexceptasaveritableLatinAmericanmanandasaChristian,‐thisis,withoutanydoubt,thehighesthonourthatIcanreceive:tobeconsideredaservantofpeace.

Icomefromacontinentthatlivesbetweenanguishandhope,wheremyownhistoryisbeingwritten.Iamconvincedthatthegospelpowerofnonviolencepresentsachoicethatopensupforusachallengeofnewandradicalperspectives.ItisanoptionwhichgivesprioritytotheessentialChristianvalue:thedignityofthehumanbeing;thesacred,transcendentandirrevocabledignitythatbelongstothehumanbeingbyreasonofbeingachildofGodandabrotherorsisterinChrist,andtherefore,ourownbrotherandsister.

Intheselongyearsofstruggleforourorganisation,theServiceforPeaceandJusticeinLatinAmerica,wehavesharedthepathtogetherwiththepoorestandmostnecessitous.

Wehavenotmuchtosaybutmuchtoshareinordertoachievebynonviolentstruggletheabolitionofinjusticeandtheattainmentofamorejustandhumanesocietyforall.

Itiswalkingtogetherwithourbrothersandsisters,thosewhoarepersecuted,whohungerandthirstforjustice,whosufferoppression,wholiveinanguishbytheprospectofwar,whosufferaggressiveviolenceorseeregularlypostponedtheattainmentoftheirelementalrights.

ItisforallthesethatIamheretoday.

Wouldthatmyvoicecouldhavethestrengthofvoiceofthehumble,avoicethatdenouncesinjusticeandproclaimshopeinGodandhumanity.ThisisthehopeofallhumanbeingswholongtoliveinharmonyincommonwithallpersonsasbrothersandsistersandaschildrenofGod.

LatinAmericaisacontinentyoungandvital,whichwasdescribedbyPopePaulVIasthe"ContinentofHope".

Tounderstandthisistovaluethisrealityandbecalledtoshareinitsdestiny.Itmeanstoachieveaprofoundidentitywiththepeoplewhoaretheprotagonistsinthishistoricprocess.ItmeansbeingreadytoredeempainandsufferingwithloveinthewaythatJesustaught.

Whenweseetheworldourpeopleinhabit,weseeitasanaffronttoGodinwhichmillionsofourchildren,youths,adults,andtheelderlyliveunderthemarkofunder‐development.

Theinstitutionalisedviolence,miseryandoppressiongenerateadualreality,fruitofthepoliticalandeconomicsystemsthatcreateinjustice,sanctifyingasocialorderthatbenefitsonlyafew:therichbecomeseverricherattheexpenseofthepoorwhobecomeseverpoorer.

Confrontingthatreality‐liketheCatholicbishopsatPuebla,liketheChristianscommittedtothestruggleforhumanrights,likeallpersonsofgoodwill‐IwanttosharetheanguishonthesufferingfaceoftheLatinAmericanmanorwomaninwhomweseethesufferingfaceofChrist,ourLord,questioningus.

AsIspeaktoyou,Iseebeforemyeyesthevividimagesofmybrothersandsisters:

–facesoftheworkersandpeasantslivingatsub‐humanlevels,whoserightstoorganiseareseverelylimited;–facesofchildrenwhosufferfrommalnutrition;–ofyoungpeoplewhoseetheirhopesfrustrated;–ofthemarginalurbanpoor;–ofourindigenouspeople;–ofthemotherssearchingfortheirmissingsonsanddaughters;–ofthedisappeared,manyofthemmerechildren;–ofthousandsofexiles;–ofthepeoplewhoclamourforlibertyandjusticeofall.

Inspiteofsomuchsufferingandpain,IliveinhopebecauseIfeelthatLatinAmericaisacontinentontherise.Itsliberationmaybedelayedbutneverdenied.

Weliveinhopebecause,likeSt.Paul,webelievethatloveneverdies.Humanbeingsinthehistoricalprocesshavecreatedenclavesoflovewiththeiractivepracticeof

solidaritythroughouttheworld,withthegoalofthefullliberationofhumanity.

FormeitisessentialtohavetheinnerpeaceandserenityofprayerinordertolistentothesilenceofGod,whichspeakstousinourpersonallifeandthehistoryofourtimes,ofthepoweroflove.

BecauseofthisfaithinChristandhumankind,wemustapplyourhumbleeffortstobuildamorejustandhumaneworld.Iwanttoaffirmemphatically:suchaworldispossible.

Tocreatethisnewsocietywemustreachoutourhands,fraternally,withouthatredandrancour,forreconciliationandpeace,withunfalteringdeterminationinthedefenseoftruthandjustice.

Weknowwecannotplantseedswithclosedfists.Tosowwemustopenourhands.

IwanttothankallofyouandtheNobelCommitteeforthishighdistinctiongiventhehumblepeopleofLatinAmerica.Iamdeeplymovedandevenmorecommittedtoredoublemyeffortsinthestruggleforpeaceandjustice.

Weknowthatpeaceisonlypossiblewhenitisthefruitofjustice.Truepeaceisaprofoundtransformationbymeansoftheforceofnonviolencethatisthepoweroflove.

Iwouldliketotellyouthat,thankstothesupportandunderstandingofmywifeandchildreneveninthehardestandmostdifficultmomentsofthisstruggle,IcouldcontinuethisworktogetherwithmybrothersandsistersofLatinAmerica.Withmyfamily'slove,silenceandsolidaritytheyhavealwayshelpedtogivemestrengthandcouragetoservemybrothersandsisters.

InvokingthestrengthofChrist,ourLord,Iwouldliketosharewithyou,withmypeople,andwiththeworldwhatHehastaughtusintheSermonontheMount:

Blessedarethepoorinspirit;–theirsisthekingdomofheaven.Blessedarethegentle;–theyshallinherittheearth.Blessedaretheywhomourn;–theyshallbecomforted.Blessedarethosewhohungerandthirstforrighteousness;–theyshallbesatisfied.Blessedarethemerciful;–theyshallobtainmercy.Blessedarethepureinheart;–theyshallseeGod.Blessedarethepeacemakers;–theyshallbecalledchildrenofGod.Blessedarethosewhoarepersecutedforrighteousness'sake;–theirsisthekingdomofheaven.Blessedareyouwhenpeopleabuseyouandpersecuteyouandspeakallkindsoffalsehoodsagainstyouformysake.Rejoiceandbeglad,forgreatwillbeyourrewardinheaven.Inthesamewaytheypersecutedtheprophetsbeforeyou.

(Matthew5,1‐12)

Receivemydeepgratitudeandmywishforpeaceandwell‐being.

FromNobelLectures,Peace1971‐1980,Editor‐in‐ChargeToreFrängsmyr,EditorIrwinAbrams,WorldScientificPublishingCo.,Singapore,1997