<p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;"> </span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">? Can Words Stop Wars?</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">?</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">Good morning everyone,</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">Today, I want to ask a powerful question: Can words really stop a war?</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">At first, it might sound too naive.</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">In a world full of weapons, power struggles, hatred and deep divisions, how could something as ordinary as “talking” make a difference?</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">But communication isn’t just about talking. It’s about listening. Understanding. Building trust. And without trust, there can be no peace.</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">Let’s look at where conflict comes from. Wars don’t begin because people talk too much—they begin with silence, fear, and misunderstanding. Whether it’s nations or neighbors, most conflict grows when people stop listening.</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">Take the Cold War, for example. For years, the United States and the Soviet Union stood on the edge of nuclear war. What helped pull them back from disaster? Not force. Not violence. But words. </span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">During the Cuban Missile Crisis, letters between Kennedy and Khrushchev—calm, deliberate communication—helped save the world. </span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">Words prevented war.</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">Now zoom in to everyday life. Think about how many fights start over a misunderstood message. A conversation never had. An assumption made too fast. We’ve all been there. And we’ve also seen how one honest talk can solve what silence made worse.</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">Peace doesn’t only happen on global stages. It begins at dinner tables, in classrooms, and in offices. It begins when we choose to listen instead of argue. To ask instead of assume. To connect instead of attack.</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">One of the most powerful examples of this was South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. After decades of apartheid, how did the country begin to heal? Not through revenge—but through testimony. Victims and perpetrators came forward, told their stories, and listened to each other. That wasn’t easy. That was brave communication. That was peace in motion.</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">Now, I won’t pretend all communication is good. Words can hurt. Lies can destroy. Hate speech can incite violence. But that’s not a failure of communication—it’s a failure of character.</span></p><p class="ql-block ql-indent-1"><span style="font-size:22px;">When used with honesty and empa</span></p> <p class="ql-block">頭馬活動演講稿，存于此。</p>