Dear Friends, Sisters, and Brothers:

The Tokyo Foundation, its members and partners, as well as its
distinguished chairman and executive directors, have made a
difficult decision that makes a difference in my life. You have
already made a difference in my life by standing up for justice
and the pursuit of peace in my country by intervening positively
in the cause of peace. You did so by believing in me, a young
woman from a refugee camp, somewhere so far away from here. You
granted me the opportunity to study in prestigious American
universities such as the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and
Harvard Law School. You have taken me by the hand, removing me
from the tiny refugee camp where I had been living and opening my
mind to new horizons of knowledge and education. Now you are
rewarding not only my hard academic work but also recognizing all
those who are committed to a just solution to the Palestinian-
Israeli conflict, who continue to challenge the current cycle of
violence and the mutual infliction of pain and suffering, and who
continue to provide hope in the midst of darkness and fear. I am
truly honored to receive this prize, which I view as a source of
empowerment for individuals all over the world who share the
values of justice, reconciliation, and peace.

I come to you from a small beautiful country
that has a name and an identity. It has a
long, continuous history and a distinguished
language. It has been the cradle of several
civilizations and religions. Prophets,
pioneers, pilgrims, and poets have made it
their destination. My people are one, fused by
centuries of history in my homeland, bound
together by a collective memory of shared
sorrows and joys and a unity of purpose and
vision. We have our own songs and hymns, our
folkloric stories, and our own poetry and
images that all share a tint of melancholy
that colors even our happiest moments. These
are all important aspects of our national and
cultural identity.

I come from a country that glows with the brightness of heavenly
good news and celestial messages. It has given humanity a great
deal of knowledge, art, culture, mythologies, and other forms of
the richness of human expression. It has also experienced much
pain. My country is called Palestine. Palestine has surpassed the
local alphabet to enter the international lexicon as a synonym for
the quest for freedom and liberty.

From my small country Jesus Christ rose to spread the light of
love and peace to the whole world so as to end its suffering. With
his birth, humanity's pursuit of a new historical era began. It
all started there in my country. The land of my country has
captured the love and the imagination of millions of people
throughout history.

For more than one hundred years now, my country has been searching
for its humanistic salvation. As one handcuff is broken from
around the wrists of Palestine, it is replaced by a new one. My
country is still searching for its stolen liberty. It is still
defying an occupation that presses so heavily on its chest.
Palestine is shaking under the blades of the occupiers. The hands
of Palestine are waving, urging the world to end its silence to
oppression and aggression. But my country will not die, because
conscience never dies.

I am the daughter of a people who have been dispersed and
massacred. Our villages have been destroyed. My people live in a
diaspora all over the world. We live humiliated in camps. We live
with our memories and our sadness--and with the keys to our
destroyed homes.