mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and
bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the lion
and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree
and none shall be afraid." I still believe that We Shall overcome!
This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our
tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When
our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a
thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine
civilization struggling to be born.
Today I come to Oslo as a trustee, inspired and with renewed dedication to humanity.
I accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood. I say I come as a
trustee, for in the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor
to me personally.
Every time I take a flight, I am always mindful of the many people who make a
successful journey possible - the known pilots and the unknown ground crew.
So you honour the dedicated pilots of our struggle who have sat at the controls as
the freedom movement soared into orbit. You honor, once again, Chief Lutuli of South
Africa, whose struggles with and for his people, are still met with the most brutal expression
of man's inhumanity to man. You honor the ground crew without whose labour and sacrifices
the jet flights to freedom, could never have left the earth. Most of these people will never
make the headline and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have
rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvelous age in which we
live - men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a
better people, a more noble civilization - because these humble children of God were willing
to suffer for righteousness' sake.
I think Alfred Nobel would know what I mean when I say that I accept this award in
the spirit of a curator of some precious heirloom which he holds in trust for its true owners
- all those to whom beauty is truth and truth beauty - and in whose eyes the beauty of
genuine brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold.