“In order to deal with climate change, there's got to be sacrifice. There's got to be commitment. We've got to tell people that the world has changed.”
Spoken in his TED Talk, urging that meaningful climate action requires real sacrifice and honest acknowledgment that conditions have permanently changed.
— Anote Tong, Kiribati
Source: Anote Tong, TED Talk, "My Country Will Be Underwater Soon — Unless We Work Together" (2015)
More Proverbs from Kiribati
Do not follow the first breeze.
A caution against acting on a first impulse; wait and think before reacting.
Our culture and knowledge are our identity.
A people's customs and accumulated knowledge are what define who they are.
Respecting the guiding hand brings spiritual protection.
Honouring the guidance of elders and those who lead safeguards wellbeing.
The maintenance of wellbeing comes from just and fair decision-making.
A community stays healthy and at peace when its leaders decide matters justly and fairly.
The person is sacred.
Every individual carries an inherent dignity and worth that must be respected and protected.
Health, peace, and prosperity.
Kiribati's national motto, borne on the Coat of Arms, expressing the nation's guiding aspiration for its people.