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| Meagan Floyd |
By Meagan Floyd, Class of 2013
“There is no hope without endeavor.”
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi spoke these words to
the McConnell Scholars after her public speech
this morning. Few leaders have
illustrated this principle in their lifetime better than Suu Kyi. After nearly two decades on house arrest, she
is fighting as strongly as ever for the cause she believes in–democracy for
her country. Set backs continue to
strike the country of Burma–ethnic conflicts plague the border region and
human rights advocates continue to find abuses by the army across the
country. Yet each small step brings hope
to the people of Burma whether it is the easing of Western sanctions or release
of political prisoners. As a uniting force of Burma, many have compared Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi to Ghandi or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but she is too
modest to believe such things about her self. It was truly amazing to see such
humility from one of the worlds greatest leaders. She is a reminder to everyone struggling for
a cause to never give up, to keep working even when hope seems to be gone. Today was one of the highlights of my time
in the McConnell program and I am more excited than ever to see changes coming
to Burma.
Meagan Floyd, of Louisville, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She is majoring in political science.