We are the future generations / envisioned in the UN Charter. // When our grandparents resolved to "spare future generations / the scourge of war," / as written, / they were thinking of us. // But as well as dreaming for our safety, / they also left us / a responsibility. // President Roosevelt, / addressing the US Congress in January 1945, / six months before the end of World War II, / said this: / "In the field of foreign policy, / we promise to stand together with the United Nations, / not for the war alone, / but for the victory / for which the war was fought." / And he went on: / "The firm foundation can be built / and will be built. // But the continuance and assurance / of a living peace, / in the long run, / must be the work of the people / themselves." // So today, / we have to ask ourselves if we are living up to that mission. // They gave us the start. // What have we done with it? // It is clear / to me that we have made huge strides, / but our agreements and institutions are only / as strong as our will to uphold them. // If we do not, / for whatever reason, / we bequeath a darker, / more unstable / world to all of those who come after us. // It is not for this / that previous generations / shed blood / and worked so hard on behalf of all of us. // The memory of those who came before us / holds us true / to our ideals. // Resting / unchanged in time, / they remind us who we are / and what we stand for. // They give us hope / to stay in the fight, / as Sergio did, / until his last breath. // Fourteen years since his death, / there is a stronger need than ever before for us to stay true / to the ideals and purposes of the United Nations. // That is what I hope his memory holds for us today. // We cannot all be Sergios. // But I hope all of us / can determine that we shall be a generation that renews its commitment / to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, / and to promote social progress / and better standards of life / and larger freedom. //