let me start with a story about a
grandfather forced to flee Turkey as a
boy to escape the Armenian Genocide
we became a refugee by settling here in
neighboring Bulgaria then his son born
at the end of the Second World War into
communist ruling Society but he always
dreamt of a life beyond the curtains of
the East Bloc and in order to provide
more opportunities and access to some of
the best education in the world his
family emigrated in Canada in the 90s
then the story of the grandson a boy who
saw with his own eyes the fall of the
Berlin Wall the end of the communist
regime but the boy who was lucky to live
in two continents and travel across 15
countries every year now for many of you
in this room you would remember
traveling with a Bulgarian passport in
the 80s was often challenging in a
humiliating experience experience that
marked this boy deeply at the very early
age and defined his future I am that boy
and this is the story of my family and
my dream for human mobility continues
I’m determined to ensure the only thing
which is outside of our control yours or
mine the place where we’re born will not
dictate who we are where we can go or
what we can become we live in the age of
global citizens we live in one of the
most incredible times of human history
as well well we have today improvements
in life expectancy increasing personal
wealth advancing technology which is
ready to make us populate to Mars but
ladies and gentlemen we have a
tremendous amount and uncertainty and
planet Earth
first and foremost climate change is
having a devastating effect both on
human and financial cost to our society
just last year’s hurricane season ear ma
harvey in Moorea destroyed thousands of
homes in the caribbean destroying to
economic countries which I’m a proud
citizen Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda
this devastation will cost our society
hundreds of billions of dollars today we
have 250 million people around the world
who were migrants experts predict that
by 2050 10% of the world’s population
will have to migrate from their place of
birth because of climate change climate
change is real and this number will
represent 750 million people this is
three times of number of the migrants we
have today just in the life span of one
generation climate change will affect
everybody’s life in this room it is not
a question of if it’s a question of a
one climate change doesn’t respect
borders nationalities doesn’t care if
you’re poor or rich terrorism is also on
the rise political instability across
the world is reaching a new social
status toe of stress and anxiety and
from all of this one thing is certain
uncertainty is hard to live with and the
primary victims in living in this age of
uncertainty are the migrants looking at
countries like Canada Australia New
Zealand one would have assumed that
having strong robust immigration
programs have obvious benefits but I see
a disturbing trend populist views
indicates that people feel differently
and I think that there is something
desperately wrong not with migration
itself but with the way we see it this
has affected me in a deep way so last
year I started a personal quest engaging
in a conversation with global citizens
around the world trying to understand
our society’s current
perspective on migration had the
privilege of meeting heads of state in
the UN some of the victim of the wars in
the refugee camps social activists
Hollywood celebrities and from all my
conversations I discovered one vital
truth when will limit human mobility
we’re restricting the use of one of the
most important social growth tools we
have human mobility is instrumental for
encouraging innovation I like to see
human mobility as a conductor of ideas
it could represent tremendous investment
opportunities a two-way exchange let me
explain currently the World Bank’s
reports clearly indicates that if we
invest 1 euro in welcoming migrants this
will bring us to euro of economic
benefits in that economy within five
years if these people are allowed to
work currently 40% of the fortune 500
companies in the US are owned or managed
by migrants while in China 30% of the
Shanghai publicly traded company are
owned or managed by Chinese who lived
abroad and came back home so clearly it
is a two-way flow an exchange of ideas
emotions and investment opportunities
are we forgetting as well who is Albert
Einstein Sergey Brin immigrants Steve
Jobs a son of a Syrian refugee the
benefits of migration could be
transformational
if necessity is the mother of invention
migration is truly the conductor of
innovation let me repeat it I think it’s
important if necessity is the mother of
invention migration is truly the
conductor of innovation and when we look
at Earth from space we see ourselves as
a one we see only land water an
atmosphere a vast openness of unity no
lines no divisions no borders no walls
are only boundaries
or the way we see ourselves and only
borders the way we see each other if we
look at migration as well as a capsule
of time I would agree in the last 10
years
we’ll see tremendous challenges in
welcoming refugees around the world but
if we look at migration for the last
hundred years and a graphic like we do
in a stock market performance we’ll see
a consistent upward trajectory of adding
value to society now the reality is that
in the last 25 years we have seen
tremendous changes walls have come down
transparency in most part of the world
and business and governments have become
the norm as global citizens this is not
a mindset this is a way of living it is
giving back to society and making sure
to improve it with every action we take
last year the UN General Assembly
I was listening carefully to
secretary-general guitarist’s not to
Trump who said that he sees migration as
a challenge that can bring the world
together and I quote each country has
the right to control their own borders
but this has to be done in a way to
protect the people under move with a
truly global sharing of responsibilities
the number of refugee we face can be
managed migration should be an option
not a necessity and as global citizens
you and I what can we do well first we
must shift away from seeing migration as
potential political tool – a tool of
potentials too many politicians are
still using human lives in tragedy to
gain or retain power this has a negative
impact in our society and it doesn’t
have to be that way
as global citizens we must as well shift
away from seeing migration as a cost
bear – an investment which bears fruit
let me give an example a global citizen
tax how would it work
a percentage of the investment of the
wealthy migrants around the world
applying for second residence or
citizenship would go towards funding the
most urgent needs of welcoming and
resettling refugees around the world a
truly win win win solution win for the
country a win for the wealthy and a win
for those in needs finally as global
citizens we must as well change our
language when we talk about migrants
from negative to positive
we must stop labeling it as a
destructive change and suggesting
constructive innovation as global
citizens we must look beyond the world’s
borders and advocate for changes that
will make this planet better for the
next generation we must continue
believing in behaviors that will make
relief of global citizens around the
world supporting the needs of those in
needs with every action we take we’re
part of a movement which is here to
protect the planet for the future
generation but as well by preparing them
to take on the challenges that lie ahead
when I look at my family for generations
we have added value to every society
that have welcomed us and I continue my
quest to ensure that people will
continue seeing migration as a positive
element in every society for the next
generation being political instability
climate change terrorism security we
don’t have the luxury of time to wait
for our governments to get a line on
these topics people need our help and
they do need it urgently
we must act together and act now let me
leave you with one final thought from
Kofi Annan at the last global citizen
forum in Monaco if you want to go fast
go alone
if you want to go far go together ladies
and gentlemen I know we have a long
journey
ahead but I know that we can only get
there if we go together as global
citizens the movement is waiting for you
are you ready
thank you
you
you
grandfather forced to flee Turkey as a
boy to escape the Armenian Genocide
we became a refugee by settling here in
neighboring Bulgaria then his son born
at the end of the Second World War into
communist ruling Society but he always
dreamt of a life beyond the curtains of
the East Bloc and in order to provide
more opportunities and access to some of
the best education in the world his
family emigrated in Canada in the 90s
then the story of the grandson a boy who
saw with his own eyes the fall of the
Berlin Wall the end of the communist
regime but the boy who was lucky to live
in two continents and travel across 15
countries every year now for many of you
in this room you would remember
traveling with a Bulgarian passport in
the 80s was often challenging in a
humiliating experience experience that
marked this boy deeply at the very early
age and defined his future I am that boy
and this is the story of my family and
my dream for human mobility continues
I’m determined to ensure the only thing
which is outside of our control yours or
mine the place where we’re born will not
dictate who we are where we can go or
what we can become we live in the age of
global citizens we live in one of the
most incredible times of human history
as well well we have today improvements
in life expectancy increasing personal
wealth advancing technology which is
ready to make us populate to Mars but
ladies and gentlemen we have a
tremendous amount and uncertainty and
planet Earth
first and foremost climate change is
having a devastating effect both on
human and financial cost to our society
just last year’s hurricane season ear ma
harvey in Moorea destroyed thousands of
homes in the caribbean destroying to
economic countries which I’m a proud
citizen Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda
this devastation will cost our society
hundreds of billions of dollars today we
have 250 million people around the world
who were migrants experts predict that
by 2050 10% of the world’s population
will have to migrate from their place of
birth because of climate change climate
change is real and this number will
represent 750 million people this is
three times of number of the migrants we
have today just in the life span of one
generation climate change will affect
everybody’s life in this room it is not
a question of if it’s a question of a
one climate change doesn’t respect
borders nationalities doesn’t care if
you’re poor or rich terrorism is also on
the rise political instability across
the world is reaching a new social
status toe of stress and anxiety and
from all of this one thing is certain
uncertainty is hard to live with and the
primary victims in living in this age of
uncertainty are the migrants looking at
countries like Canada Australia New
Zealand one would have assumed that
having strong robust immigration
programs have obvious benefits but I see
a disturbing trend populist views
indicates that people feel differently
and I think that there is something
desperately wrong not with migration
itself but with the way we see it this
has affected me in a deep way so last
year I started a personal quest engaging
in a conversation with global citizens
around the world trying to understand
our society’s current
perspective on migration had the
privilege of meeting heads of state in
the UN some of the victim of the wars in
the refugee camps social activists
Hollywood celebrities and from all my
conversations I discovered one vital
truth when will limit human mobility
we’re restricting the use of one of the
most important social growth tools we
have human mobility is instrumental for
encouraging innovation I like to see
human mobility as a conductor of ideas
it could represent tremendous investment
opportunities a two-way exchange let me
explain currently the World Bank’s
reports clearly indicates that if we
invest 1 euro in welcoming migrants this
will bring us to euro of economic
benefits in that economy within five
years if these people are allowed to
work currently 40% of the fortune 500
companies in the US are owned or managed
by migrants while in China 30% of the
Shanghai publicly traded company are
owned or managed by Chinese who lived
abroad and came back home so clearly it
is a two-way flow an exchange of ideas
emotions and investment opportunities
are we forgetting as well who is Albert
Einstein Sergey Brin immigrants Steve
Jobs a son of a Syrian refugee the
benefits of migration could be
transformational
if necessity is the mother of invention
migration is truly the conductor of
innovation let me repeat it I think it’s
important if necessity is the mother of
invention migration is truly the
conductor of innovation and when we look
at Earth from space we see ourselves as
a one we see only land water an
atmosphere a vast openness of unity no
lines no divisions no borders no walls
are only boundaries
or the way we see ourselves and only
borders the way we see each other if we
look at migration as well as a capsule
of time I would agree in the last 10
years
we’ll see tremendous challenges in
welcoming refugees around the world but
if we look at migration for the last
hundred years and a graphic like we do
in a stock market performance we’ll see
a consistent upward trajectory of adding
value to society now the reality is that
in the last 25 years we have seen
tremendous changes walls have come down
transparency in most part of the world
and business and governments have become
the norm as global citizens this is not
a mindset this is a way of living it is
giving back to society and making sure
to improve it with every action we take
last year the UN General Assembly
I was listening carefully to
secretary-general guitarist’s not to
Trump who said that he sees migration as
a challenge that can bring the world
together and I quote each country has
the right to control their own borders
but this has to be done in a way to
protect the people under move with a
truly global sharing of responsibilities
the number of refugee we face can be
managed migration should be an option
not a necessity and as global citizens
you and I what can we do well first we
must shift away from seeing migration as
potential political tool – a tool of
potentials too many politicians are
still using human lives in tragedy to
gain or retain power this has a negative
impact in our society and it doesn’t
have to be that way
as global citizens we must as well shift
away from seeing migration as a cost
bear – an investment which bears fruit
let me give an example a global citizen
tax how would it work
a percentage of the investment of the
wealthy migrants around the world
applying for second residence or
citizenship would go towards funding the
most urgent needs of welcoming and
resettling refugees around the world a
truly win win win solution win for the
country a win for the wealthy and a win
for those in needs finally as global
citizens we must as well change our
language when we talk about migrants
from negative to positive
we must stop labeling it as a
destructive change and suggesting
constructive innovation as global
citizens we must look beyond the world’s
borders and advocate for changes that
will make this planet better for the
next generation we must continue
believing in behaviors that will make
relief of global citizens around the
world supporting the needs of those in
needs with every action we take we’re
part of a movement which is here to
protect the planet for the future
generation but as well by preparing them
to take on the challenges that lie ahead
when I look at my family for generations
we have added value to every society
that have welcomed us and I continue my
quest to ensure that people will
continue seeing migration as a positive
element in every society for the next
generation being political instability
climate change terrorism security we
don’t have the luxury of time to wait
for our governments to get a line on
these topics people need our help and
they do need it urgently
we must act together and act now let me
leave you with one final thought from
Kofi Annan at the last global citizen
forum in Monaco if you want to go fast
go alone
if you want to go far go together ladies
and gentlemen I know we have a long
journey
ahead but I know that we can only get
there if we go together as global
citizens the movement is waiting for you
are you ready
thank you
you
you
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