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Peace

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“There had to be an end of slavery. Then we were fighting an enemy with whom we could not make a peace. We had to destroy him. No convention, no treaty was possible. Only destruction.”
Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) first seen 1878 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: To Otto von Bismarck in June 1878, as quoted in Around the World with General Grant (1879), by John Russell Young, The American News Company, New York, vol. 7, p. 416
“Although a soldier by profession, I have never felt any sort of fondness for war, and I have never advocated it, except as a means of peace.”
Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) said by 1885 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech in London, as quoted in Memorial Life of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (1889) Edited by y Stephen Merrill Allen, p. 95
“The war has made us a nation of great power and intelligence. We have but little to do to preserve peace, happiness and prosperity at home, and the respect of other nations. Our experience ought to teach us the necessity of the first; our power secures the latter.”
Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) said by 1885 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our peace and prosperity can never be taken for granted and must constantly be tended, so that never again do we have cause to build monuments to our fallen youth.”
Elizabeth II (1926–2022) first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech during the commemorations of D-Day (6 June 2014).
“I am at peace with God; my conflict is with man.”
Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977) first seen 1947 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Monsieur Verdoux (1947). Chaplin's answer as a Verdoux that is to be guillotined and receives a visit from a priest who tell him 'I've come to ask you to make your peace with God'. "Comedy Quotes from the Movies" (2001)…
“I feel I am privileged to express a hope. The hope is this: that we shall have peace throughout the world: that we shall abolish wars, and settle all international differences at the conference table: that we shall abolish all atom and hydrogen bombs, before they abolish us first.”
Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977) first seen 1959 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In response to journalist for his views on the future of mankind at his 70th birthday (16 April 1959)
“Lasting peace is sought, it is essential to adopt international measures to improve the lot of the masses. The welfare of the entire human race must replace hunger and oppression. People of the world must be taught to give up envy, avarice and rancour.”
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938) said by 1938 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in I. Milletlerarası Gençlik Kongresi [First International Youth Congress] (1988) by Selçuk University, p. 19
“If we are serious about peace, then we must work for it as ardently, seriously, continuously, carefully, and bravely as we have ever prepared for war.”
Wendell Berry (1934–2026) said by 2026 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Violence breeds violence. Acts of violence committed in “justice” or in affirmation of “rights” or in defense of “peace” do not end violence. They prepare and justify its continuation.”
Wendell Berry (1934–2026) said by 2026 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A dethroned king, in the Republic, is good for only two uses: either to trouble the peace of the state and threaten liberty, or to affirm both of these at the same time.”
Maximilien Robespierre (1758–1794) said by 1794 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When we come to nonattachment, then we can understand the marvelous mystery of the universe: how it is intense activity and at the same time intense peace, how it is work every moment and rest every moment.”
Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) said by 1902 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“'What worth peace when it was maintained by threat?”
Steven Erikson (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Peace for us means the destruction of Israel. We are preparing for an all-out war, a war which will last for generations… We shall not rest until the day when we return to our home, and until we destroy Israel.”
Yasser Arafat (1929–2004) first seen 1980 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in The Times, UK (5 August 1980).
“O, brother man! fold to thy heart thy brother; where pity dwells, the peace of God is there.”
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892) said by 1892 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Worship, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)
“Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write War and Peace in a bumper car in an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling.”
Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999) first seen 1999 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Video acceptance speech of the D.W. Griffiths Lifetime Achievement Award (1999) - video and transcript
“Consider whether this is a man, Who labours in the mud Who knows no peace Who fights for a crust of bread Who dies at a yes or a no.”
Primo Levi (1919–1987) said by 1987 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Except for cases of pathological incapacity, one can and must communicate, and thereby contribute in a useful and easy way to the peace of others and oneself, because silence, the absence of signals, is itself a signal, but an ambiguous one, and ambiguity generates anxiety and suspicion. To say that it is impossible to communicate is false; one always can.”
Primo Levi (1919–1987) said by 1987 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“History reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, "Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday!" And then Sasha added, "Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up." So it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks by the President on winning the Nobel Peace Prize (9 October 2009)
“There is violence and injustice in our world that must be confronted. We must confront it not by splitting apart but by standing together as free nations, as free people. I know that a call to arms can stir the souls of men and women more than a call to lay them down. But that is why the voices for peace and progress must be raised together.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the co-operation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations - to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism; it is an important part of promoting peace.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“For peace to come, it is time for them - and all of us - to live up to our responsibilities.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now, that must be our work here on Earth.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“America’s commitment to Israel’s security is unshakeable. Our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring. And so we believe that any lasting peace must acknowledge the very real security concerns that Israel faces every single day.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Ultimately, peace is just not about politics. It’s about attitudes; about a sense of empathy; about breaking down the divisions that we create for ourselves in our own minds and our own hearts that don’t exist in any objective reality, but that we carry with us generation after generation.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks by President Obama and Mrs. Obama in Town Hall with Youth of Northern Ireland, Belfast Waterfront, Belfast, Northern Ireland (17 June 2013)
“But the current convulsions arising out of the Arab Spring remind us that a just and lasting peace cannot be measured only by agreements between nations. It must also be measured by our ability to resolve conflict and promote justice within nations.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks by President Obama in Address to the United Nations General Assembly (24 September 2013)
“We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But the fact that we can stand here today, along the fault line where a city was divided, speaks to an eternal truth: No wall can stand against the yearning of justice, the yearnings for freedom, the yearnings for peace that burns in the human heart.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Peace with justice means free enterprise that unleashes the talents and creativity that reside in each of us; in other models, direct economic growth from the top down or relies solely on the resources extracted from the earth. But we believe that real prosperity comes from our most precious resource -- our people.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And finally, let’s remember that peace with justice depends on our ability to sustain both the security of our societies and the openness that defines them. Threats to freedom don’t merely come from the outside. They can emerge from within -- from our own fears, from the disengagement of our citizens.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And so this visit, this hallowed ground, reminds us that we must never, ever take our progress for granted. We must commit perennially to peace, which binds us across oceans.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks at Flanders Field Cemetery in Waregem, Belgium on March 26, 2014.
“Justice will win -- because might does not make right, and the only path to lasting peace is when people know that their dignity will be respected and that their rights will be upheld. And citizens, like nations, will never settle for a world where the big are allowed to bully the small. Sooner or later, they fight back.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Let us leave behind the legacy of both colonization and communism, the tyranny of drug cartels, dictators and sham elections. A future of greater peace, security and democratic development is possible if we work together -- not to maintain power, not to secure vested interest, but instead to advance the dreams of our citizens.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The peace we seek in the world begins in human hearts. And it finds its glorious expression when we look beyond any differences in religion or tribe, and rejoice in the beauty of every soul. [...] Do we act with compassion and empathy. [...] we have to guard against any efforts to divide ourselves along sectarian lines or any other lines.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Africa’s progress will also depend on security and peace -- because an essential part of human dignity is being safe and free from fear.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“New thinking. Unleashing growth that creates opportunity. Promoting development that lifts all people out of poverty.Supporting democracy that gives citizens their say. Advancing the security and justice that delivers peace. Respecting the human rights of all people. These are the keys to progress -- not just in Africa, but around the world.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But he understood from hard-earned experience that true security comes through making peace with your neighbors.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks by President Obama at Memorial Service for Former Israeli President Shimon Peres on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Israel. (30 September 2016)
“But he understood that it is better to live to the very end of his time on Earth with a longing not for the past but for the dreams that have not yet come true -- an Israel that is secure in a just and lasting peace with its neighbors.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks by President Obama at Memorial Service for Former Israeli President Shimon Peres on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Israel. (30 September 2016)
“From the Asia Pacific to Africa to the Americas, the United States and our armed forces will remain the greatest force for freedom and security and peace that the world has ever known. That is your legacy. That is what we have to protect, and that is what we have to defend.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Definitely, and it's getting more spiritual. Pretty soon I believe people will have to rely on music to get some kind of peace of mind, or satisfaction, or direction, actually. More so than politics, the big ego scene. You know it's an art of words... Meaning nothing. Therefore you will have to get an earthier substance, like music or the arts.”
Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) said by 1970 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We on an ultralight beam This is a God dream This is everything Deliver us serenity Deliver us peace Deliver us loving We know we need it That's why we need You now Pray for Paris, Pray for the parents.”
Kanye West (born 1977) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You know, he made these peace treaties,[...] I just think it was to make money. I just think that that’s what they’re about is making money. I don’t think that they have the ability to make anything on their own. I think they’re born into money, and it makes me feel like they weren’t serving my boy Trump the way they could’ve.”
Kanye West (born 1977) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview with Tucker Carlson regarding Jared Kushner (October 6, 2022), as cited in "Kanye West says Jared Kushner only brokered Abraham Accords 'to make money' The Times of Israel (October 8, 2022)
“Reading Europe's press, it is really reassuring to see how warmly Europeans have embraced President Bush's formulation that an "axis of evil" threatens world peace. There's only one small problem. President Bush thinks the axis of evil is Iran, Iraq and North Korea, and the Europeans think it's Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Condi Rice.”
Thomas Friedman (born 1953) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Israel should really reflect on what's going on in Egypt. It does not want to be the Hosni Mubarak of the peace process.”
Thomas Friedman (born 1953) first seen 2011 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Meet The Press, January 30, 2011.
“I told the Commonwealth Commissioners I lived in the virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars... I told them I was come into the covenant of peace which was before wars and strife were.”
George Fox (1624–1691) first seen 1651 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Statement of 1651 at Derby Gaol, quoted in Quaker Faith and Practice, Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
“A few profit – and the many pay. But there is a way to stop it. You can't end it by disarmament conferences. You can't eliminate it by peace parleys at Geneva. Well-meaning but impractical groups can't wipe it out by resolutions. It can be smashed effectively only by taking the profit out of war.”
Smedley Butler (1881–1940) said by 1940 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This is the point from which I can never return, and if I back down now then forever I burn. This is the point from which I can never retreat cause if I turn back now there can never be peace. This is the point from which I will die or succeed, living the struggle, I know I'm alive when I bleed. From now on it can never be the same as before, cause the place that I'm from doesn't exist any more”
Immortal Technique (born 1978) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source