Monday week 15 Monday, May 01, 2006
Acceptance speeches
tow – truck driver of the year
Hans Hollein Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate 1985
Citation from the Pritzker Jury
EXAMPLE OF A WRITTEN-OUT ACCEPTANCE SPEECH – I WOULD EXPECT ABOUT FIVE TIMES MORE FROM EACH STUDENT
Acceptance Speech by President K R
Narayanan, while receiving the World Statesman Award, of the Appeal of
Conscience Foundation,
Excerpts:
I am deeply grateful to the Appeal of Conscience Foundation
for conferring on me the World Statesman Award for 1998. I consider it a
gesture of goodwill toward the people of
The word ‘conscience' has a special resonance in the
spiritual and moral history of humanity. It is associated with religious freedom and tolerance, equality and justice, and with human
rights and human values. These are among the great principles on which the
The Appeal
of Conscience Foundation is committed to religious freedom and peace throughout
the world. Historically it was out of the struggle for religious freedom and
religious toleration that political freedom and democracy arose and established
themselves in the western world. In
True
democracy and freedom are the outcome of the idea of a common humanity. Nearly
3000 years ago the Rig
And yet
breaking through all the distinctions, discriminations, exclusions, oppression
and exploitation of a complex and stratified society, there has been in
A little
over a hundred years ago, a great Indian, Swami Vivekananda, came to
President
Rabbi Schneler, when the distinguished Jury for this
Award selected me as the recipient for this year, I am sure that it had in mind
the humanistic tradition of the country and the democracy we have built up
during the last 50 years. I am particularly glad about this consideration on
your part, for the significance of Indian democracy has not yet been fully
realized by the world. It was not a mere gift of colonial rule, though every
Indian has gracefully acknowledged the role of
The
magnitude and the audacity of the Indian democratic experiments ought to be
mind boggling for any objective observer of human affairs. The size of the
Indian electorate today is 600 million, the largest in the world. The electoral
process is not limited to the central Parliament but to the legislatures of the
States, district and block councils and village panchayats
as well as corporations and the municipalities. About three million
representatives of the people are elected to the local bodies out of which
nearly one million are women by virtue of a constitutional provision. These
elected local bodies constitute a colossal school for democracy and an exercise
in the democratic decentralization of State power. It is this pervasive
democratic system that has helped in maintaining the unity of this vast country
of contrasts, diversities and differences. Some Western political observers
have described the system as a functioning anarchy. But there is method, rhythm
and meaning in this apparent chaos as there is a popular consensus behind the
coalition governments that have emerged from our General Elections. Coalition
governments are the products of assertive federalism in Indian policy and a
reflection of unity in diversity that is the hallmark of Indian society. They
have not affected the stability of the administration, the development of the
economy the security of the nation, of the faith and confidence of the people
in the future of the country.
It has been
asked whether
Indeed,
what
It has
often been asked will the Indian economic reforms be slowed down or reversed.
We have in response, explained that the reforms are irrevocable, because they
are not a temporary tactic or an ideological exercise, but the outcome of the
needs of our economy and society and of the compulsions of the stage of development
that we have reached.
The world
has today become technology driven. It is an
electro-dynamic-mechanical-electronic world. As Pandit
Nehru once remarked, science that has destroyed many a god has itself assumed
the pose of a god. A question we must ask is in this new technological world,
what would be the place of the individual and his conscience? Will the human
being and the human values that we cherish so much, be of much consequence? And
will "the proud, proud man" as William Shakespeare saw with poetic
insight, "most ignorant of what he is most assured", be "like an
angry ape - playing such fantastic tricks before high heaven - as make the
angels weep"? Or will he be even less than this tragi-comic
figure, reduced to being an unfeeling cog in the machinery of modern
technological society?
The prospect of a technological elite emerging in industry,
information and in the crucial areas of life is a new possible danger to the independence,
initiative, and the identity of the individual human being. It seems the human
race has to guard against the rise of a high tech hegemonism
with the weak and vulnerable sections of world society like the working class,
the peasant, the student, the woman, becoming more and more helpless in the
face of the apparatus of wealth, power and authority buttressed by a
technological elite.
Thank you
28 April 1998
http://www.angelfire.com/az2/BetCat/mdart10.html
http://www.time.com/time/sampler/article/0,8599,345998,00.html (Eminem takes the Best Rap Video award at the MTV Video Music Awards)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/01/03/entertainment/main261075.shtml
(shows videos of awards acceptance)
Australian junior sports star of the year
GUNTHER GEBEL-WILLIAMS
[NOTE: The
following article was originally presented in 1990, in the program book for the
119th Edition of The Greatest Show On Earth. The 119th
Edition will forever be remembered as Gunther Gebel-Williams' farewell tour.]
Lord of the Rings
... King of the Jungle ... The Golden Gladiator ... Caesar of the Circus!
Presenting Gunther
Gebel-Williams -- the master of the menagerie, the
legend that lives, the most brilliant wild animal trainer in the world -- in
his fabulous farewell performance with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
Circus.
Gunther and his ferocious
felines, preeminent pachyderms and heroic horses have electrified audiences for
20 excitement-filled years. This edition marks the closing of his Circus
chapter as the supreme charismatic champion of the Big Top. For the last time,
he'll manifest mastery over his tempestuous
The mystery and
magic of Gunther Gebel-Williams
has grown through the years. But behind his superstar splendor, his uncanny
kinship with his cats, his incredibly casual command and his exhilarating
energy is a man devoted to his family. He is a true friend to his comrades and
a tireless, cheerful perfectionist whose seemingly perpetual motion includes a
deep love and commitment to others. We invite you to celebrate the tremendous
talents of this tiger-training titan and to cherish this very special tribute
to a true modern-day hero -- Ladies and Gentlemen -- Gunther
Gebel-Williams!
Gunther Gebel-Williams
has the intimacy with and understanding of his charges of a man born to the
Circus life. But, amazingly, that was not the case. Instead, he is the
embodiment of a rags-to-riches fable.
Born in the small town of
Under the superb
guidance of this young and gifted entertainer, the Circus Williams flourished
and toured throughout
And on a fateful day in 1968, Gunther's
world was changed forever.
It was at the
height of Gunther’s success that Irvin Feld, new owner of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
Circus, vowed to sign him as the headliner for The Greatest Show On Earth. After exhaustive negotiations and international
commuting, Mr. Feld was successful. But, because of Gunther’s great loyalty to the Circus Williams, Mr. Feld had to buy the entire Circus -- for $2 million -- to
gain its star.
Gunther Gebel-Williams
made his sensational American debut in 1969 in the 99th Edition of The Greatest
Show On Earth. From that moment on, his star has
continued to rise -- and shine! Each season Gunther
has created new and more sensational acts, each one topping the last. He was
the first to bring together -- in one cage -- three different, antagonistic
species: snarling tigers, giant horses and mammoth African elephants! He left
audiences in utter amazement by riding the ring with an uncaged
tiger atop an elephant. He brought together 15 leopards, three panthers and two
pumas in the same cage -- where he lay down among them as they swarmed over his
body. These incredible acts, and more, won him the 1973 “Outstanding Circus
Performer of the Year” award from the American Guild of Variety Artists.
Today, Gunther Gebel-Williams, together
with his wife, Sigrid, daughter, Tina, and son, Mark, make up the Gebel-Williams team. Each year, Gunther
continues to prove himself the world’s greatest Circus performer by training
more different types of wild animals than any other person in history. His
unparalleled accomplishments will always stand as the paradigm of performance
art -- a magnificent meld of talent, bravery, showmanship and pure genius.
He is, unquestionably, The Greatest
Wild Animal Trainer of All Time!
Ted Turner Receives Nuclear Age
Peace Foundation
1987 Distinguished
Peace Leadership Award
Presentation Speech by David
Krieger
The following is the text of David Krieger's presentation speech at the award ceremony.
WHO IS GIVING THE AWARD
"The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation exists because we believe that peace has become an imperative in the Nuclear Age. The power of our technologies, including nuclear technology, has made it necessary for humanity to mature more rapidly and find ways to resolve our conflicts without resort to violence. It is the pursuit of peace with justice that motivates our efforts, and gives rise to our many activities.
We are an educational organization that believes education should be closely linked to action. We work to abolish nuclear weapons, to strengthen international law, and to use science and technology for constructive rather than destructive purposes.
PAST WINNERS AND TED
The Foundation has tried to shine a light on outstanding leadership for peace. Almost since our inception, we have given an award for Distinguished Peace Leadership to those who have spoken out and acted courageously for peace. Some of the most outstanding peace leaders of our time have received this award, including the XIVth Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire, Helen Caldicott, Father Theodore Hesburgh, Jacques Cousteau, Carl Sagan, Linus Pauling, and Ted Turner.
We have honored these individuals because we believe that our world is in need of inspiring role models. We have reached a point in human history at which we cannot continue with the old modes of thinking without courting disaster of unfathomed magnitude. Albert Einstein reminded us that "[t]he unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and thus we drift toward unparalleled catastrophe." Each of the individuals we have honored has in his or her own way tried to change our thinking and avert this catastrophe. Each of these individuals has chosen life and hope.
As we
approach the 21st century, we have reached a crossroads in human history. The
Cold War has ended, but nuclear dangers continue. In some respects, due to
command and control problems in
World crises are becoming more frequent. Economic crises. Environmental crises. Social crises. Human rights crises. These crises have been caused by both internal and external factors producing societal disintegration, compounded by an institutional structure at the global level that is neither adequately organized nor supported by states to avert these crises.
Amidst these crises, we can justifiably feel that there are tremendous opportunities. All crises carry with them opportunities for transformation. Our time is no different in this regard. With the power of our technologies, the risks are infinitely greater if we choose violence, just as the potential benefits are infinitely greater if we choose peace.
We believe that the road to peace in the 21st century must be built on universal respect for human dignity, as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If respect for human dignity is to become universal, we need a new type of citizenship in our world, a citizenship of the whole planet - Earth Citizenship or World Citizenship.
In this conviction, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has created another major award, a World Citizenship Award, which we plan to make to individuals of high distinction who have acted for the benefit of all humanity.
I believe that we could have chosen no better person to set the standard for this award than our first recipient, Ted Turner. Ted's vision has not been limited by borders. Like the rest of us, he has seen the photos of Earth from outer space that demonstrate that the world is one. But unlike many of us, he has acted upon that understanding as a businessman, an educator, an environmentalist, and a humanitarian.
ONLY TED
Ted had the vision to create the Cable News Network, a network that now links the world. He initiated the Goodwill Games, the Better World Society, and the Better World Fund. He also made the largest private gift ever to benefit the United Nations, helping that organization fulfill its promise to the poor, to refugees, to those whose human rights are being abused.
Ted Turner has been a thoughtful and generous citizen of the world. He has been creative and persistent. He has been bold and imaginative. He has accepted personal responsibility for being a good citizen of our beautiful and fragile planet. He has helped to demonstrate the broad possibilities of world citizenship. Ted has marked a path for others to follow into the future. For this we will honor him on November 6th in Santa Barbara with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's first World Citizenship Award."
David Krieger is president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
Ted Turner received the foundation's World Citizenship Award in 1998. Ted Turner's Acceptance Speech for the 1998 World Citizenship Award
The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association (APTA) is
pleased to recognize truck driver Cecil Mackie with the
2001 ‘Good Samaritan Award’,
sponsored by Marine Atlantic Inc. Mackie, a native of Gardiner Mines, NS,
works for Hillman’s Transfer Ltd. in
CELEBRITY TRAINER
BASH DIBRA
RECEIVES
ANIMAL LEAGUE
LEGENDARY
BOND AWARD
On
September 19, 2000, The
North Shore Animal League
Known as "dog trainer to the
stars," Bash Dibra is the pet guru of choice
for celebrity clients such as Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lopez, Henry Kissinger and Mariah Carey.
However, it is his tireless efforts on behalf of animal-related charitable
causes that have made him renowned in humane circles.
Bash
has been the driving force behind such successful fund-raising events as the
ASPCA Dog Walks and Delta Society Service & Therapy Animal Awards. He
conceived, and each hear hosts the annual Paws Walks,
which benefit
Dibra views these cause-related events as an opportunity to educate the
public to the commitment involved in owning a pet. He believes that responsible
pet ownership, including appropriate owner/pet training, could do much to elimate one of the nation's largest problems: the 15
million unwanted pets abandoned each year, 80% of them the result of entirely
avoidable behavior problems.
While Bash Dibra continues to be one of
the nation's most sought-after animal behaviorists, his reputation as a
fundraiser and generous supporter of humane animal causes continues to grow. It is that quality that has
won him the first North Shore Animal League America Legendary Bond Award.
Hans Hollein
|
Hans Hollein's Acceptance Speech
I am deeply honored to have been elected by a distinguished jury to be the seventh recipient of the Pritzker Prize. I feel both proud and moved that my endeavors and intentions in art and architecture have been understood and appreciated in such a wonderful way-at this point in my life and career.This is a great moment and I
am particularly happy that it happens here, in
|
Man continuously designs for survival, for immediate survival and for survival after death. The life and work of an artist and architect mirrors this fundamental human situation.
Best
Rap Album of the Year-2003 Grammys
Man wow (clears his throat) Well instead of thankin
the people I always thank-everybody on the album knows who they are...I'm gonna thank the people that inspired me as I was growin up cuz really without them
I wouldn't be where I'm at now. The names ain't in any type of order.My list goes like this: Run DMC,Beastie Boys,LL Cool J, Masta Ace, Jay-Z, Rakim, and NaS. Thank you.
-Yo, props 2 Pilar from tha D 4 savin my ass w/this
speech!-
Best Album-2002 MTV Europe Music Awards
Yo…man. Best album. (Crowd cheers and EM picks up
something black on the floor) Ohh, I thought that was
panties. It’s not. Man, first of all I wanna thank
everybody again at Interscope Records. Dr. Dre, for making this all possible.
Man, my whole Shady Records family-Proof, Kon Artis, Kuniva, Swift, Bizarre,
D-12. Everybody at Shady-50 Cent, Tony Yayo,
Lloyd Banks. Man, I dunno what else to say.
Thank you. Maybe next year I’ll be sitting in the crowd and these guys’ll be getting the awards. (50 Cent hollas)
Best Hip Hop-2002 MTV Europe Music Awards
Maaaan, ummm, first off I wanna…(crowd chants his name and
EM hypes the audience up) This is crazy. Yo, first
off I wanna start off by thanking Mark Kassebaum, Don Robinson, everybody up at Interscope International, my whole Shady Records family
once again. I can’t stop shouting them out. Gg-g-g Uniiit!! Shady Records. I wanna thank everybody, all the fans who
made this possible. I couldn’t do it…I couldn’t do it without you guys. I wanna thank…I just wanna thank
everybody. Thank you.
Best Male-2002 MTV Europe Music Awards
Wow, I wasn’t even ready yet. Well, who do I wanna
thank? First of all, I wanna thank everybody at Interscope Records. (audience
starts chanting his name) Yeaaauuh! I wanna thank…I wanna thank Dr. Dre, my whole Shady Records family-Obie
Trice, D-12, 50 Cent, my manager Paul Rosenberg. Hailie,
I love you ,baby.
Best Rap Video-2002 VMAs
(EM 2 Steve-O) Did U just staple Urself man? This
guy's really bleedin. (2 Bam Margera)Wassup man?
(2 Johnny) I like tha moustache. Sup? Ummm..aiight, aiight
1st off I wanna start off by sayin
that I'm takin this home 4 rap period. And 2nd of
all, I'm takin this home 4 my whole Shady Records
family. D-12, Obie Trice, 50 Cent.
Hailie, we got another trophy 2 put in tha trophy case, baby. I love U. (Makes kiss sound)
Best Video of tha Year-VMAs
2002
Wow. Woo! It's tha big 1. Y'all gotta
excuse me. I been goin
through some anger management classes. MTV, thank U so much. Thank U 2 all my
fans. Thank U everybody who's supported me from day 1. I dunno
wut else 2 say...
BeSt RaP AlBuM oF ThE YeAr-2001 GrAmMys
(Breathes into the mic) Wow, what should I say
first?? Ummm...Alriiiiight Wassup
Amy? Ummm, I guess first of all, I wanna thank everybody who could look past the controversy
or whatever and see the album for what it was (sniffs) and also for what it
isn't. And ummm, hold on. I got this little list here
cuz I can't let nobody down tonight. Hold on. I wanna thank Paul Rosenberg, Jimmy Iovine,
Dr. Dre, of course, once again. Thank
you sir. Once again you got me up here. (Clears his throat) Mark and
Jeff Bass, David Saslow, Dennis Dennehy,
Carol Lewis, Marc Labelle, everybody at Interscope,
and my little girl cuz without you, I wouldn't be
here tonight. Thank you, baby. Daddy loves you. This my group D-12. The album comes out in May. Everybody go
pick it up. May. D-12. Thank
you.
BeSt ViDeO oF tHe YeAr-2000 MTV VMAs
(clears throat) Alright, U know I thought it was about to go down, right?
Christina and Britney just came out here. I thought they was presentin’ the award, so I thought something was about to
happen, but I guess not. This has been a crazy night already. Umm-oh I found my
speech. I found my speech. First I wanna thank Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine, Tetfield, Paul Rosenberg, my group D-12, Dean Geistlinger, Proof, Head, ummm
(clears his throat again) David Saslow, Phillip
Atwell, uhhh, my road manager Marc Labelle, everybody
who’s stuck with me and all that stuff and ummm
(laughs). This is crazy. I wanna thank the fans. Hold
on-I wanna (audience cheers…EM laughs again) Listen.
I wanna thank the fans first and foremost. But
really, every time that like a relative sues me or (laughs) every time-every
time a critic tries to slam me in the press or whatever, I sell more records,
so I really wanna thank you people for making my
record as big as it is. (Lifts up moon man award) I’m gonna
take this home and put it right between my Britney Spears and Christina
Aguilera posters.
BeSt RaP ViDeO (w/DRE)-2000 MTV VMAs
DRE: Hey. This is crazy. Yo straight up I gotta thank everybody up at Interscope,
all my family up at Aftermath, U know what I'm sayin'?
Check it out. What up mom? Nicole? This is another one for that trophy case. For real.
E M I N E M: That was kinda cheatin',
wasn't it? It's all for the same team anyways. Ummm...I
wanna thank Dr. Dre, of
course, everybody at MTV for supportin' my career and
Dr. Dre's career, and thank you to the fans, and
everybody who's supported us from day one. Thank you.
BeSt MaLe-2000 MTV VMAs
(clears his throat and
laughs) Ummm...last year when I won an award, I
wasn't really expecting it...and I didn't have like a speech or anything
prepared. It kinda had-it caught me off guard. So
this year, I brought a speech with me already prepared in case I might win. (reaches into his pocket) I got it right here. (looks for it in pocket, but only finds some drugs that fall
out onto the floor) Alright, I ain't really got no
speech. I can't find right now, but thank you.
BeSt ViDeO-2000 SoUrCe AwArDs
Why does this always
happen? Every time we think we are not-I didn't even know we was
nominated for this. Every time we are expecting to not get an award, we
get one. So once again... (audience
cheers) Where's Dre at? (I think he's back in the
trailer) So once again I don't have a speech or anything, but to all my fans...ummm thank you for uhhh diggin' the video. Thank you once again. Thank you to
Source magazine. Thank you Phillip Atwell for directing the
video...Thank you.
BeSt NeW ArTiSt-MTV VMAs 1999
Uh oh, was this supposed
to happen? I ain't even now how heavy this award was...it's
pretty heavy. Listen, I ain't have a speech prepared or whatever, so ummm.. I wanna
thank ... Blow the spot, Mr.Dre, Dr.Dre. I wanna
also thank, I wanna also thank everybody in Interscope Records for making this possible you know. And I
also wanna thank my little girl cuz
without her I wouldn't be here right now. Hi Hailie
Jade. I love you baby. Ummm, I wanna
thank my manager Paul Ronsenberg and also wanna thank all the fans that make Slim Shady possible, aiight? Peace. Thank you.