Hollow commitments to action in the future are insufficient. Deferring difficult issues must not be tolerated. Our children and grandchildren expect us to speak and act decisively.

New Zealand's taken some very significant decisions in relation to defence in the last two years.

It is important to remember that the Pacific Ocean covers a quarter of the world's surface and that each Pacific country has its own cultural, historical and ethnic identity.

Equality and development will not be achieved however if peace is not understood from women's' point of view.

The Platform for Action gives due emphasis to the fact that women globally have continued to have insufficient access to the resources necessary to achieve economic independence.

Peace is a fragile thing. It takes courage to secure it. It takes wisdom to maintain it.

With the adoption of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the international community sent out a clear message that gender based violence will not be tolerated.

The world has been gradually reducing its nuclear arsenals. Testing must stop so that progress on the destruction of nuclear weapons may begin.

By and large, women in New Zealand are fortunate compared with some other countries, including many in our own region. But there is still progress to be made.

The Pacific had great hope that when the former President Mitered decided to halt nuclear testing, we had put behind us the issue of nuclear states testing their weapons in our Pacific region.

NGOs have a significant role to play, alongside governments, in improving the status of women.

To enlighten your life, see beauty.

Is it OK to say, "these are the things that I value. This is what I'm going to pursue in life"?

We were raised to believe in books, music, and nature.

One connection I see between the work I did on philosophy and my work on technology is that both communities tend to mystify and create an atmosphere of complexity.

Never claim as a right what you can ask as a favor.

We do have choice, but not without some agony.

It's not like I wake up and songs flow out of me.

To my undying shame, I do read reviews. I don't read them all, but I like to get some kind of idea how things are going.

Carried by light, images remain while sensation is so evanescent as to be always beyond belief.

I struggled many times when maybe it didn't look like I was struggling, and I had to work hard every day.