21+ Richard Holbrooke Quotes On Education, Religion And Culture

Richard Holbrooke was an American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1999 to 2001. He was also the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2009 to 2010 and was a key figure in the Dayton Peace Accords which ended the Bosnian War in 1995. Holbrooke was known for his aggressive negotiating style and was widely regarded as one of the most effective American diplomats of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Richard Holbrooke on education, religion, leadership.

Top 10 Richard Holbrooke Quotes

1. As countries grapple with modernization, people who are left behind tend to hold firmer and firmer to their view of the evil of modernity.
2. The controlled chaos is one way to get creativity. The intensity of it, the physical rush, the intimacy created the kind of dialogue that leads to synergy...
3. Diplomacy is like jazz: endless variations on a theme.
4. World War I was not inevitable, as many historians say. It could have been avoided, and it was a diplomatically botched negotiation.
5. A world without the United Nations or with a paralyzed United Nations would be far more costly to all of us and far more dangerous to peace and stability.
6. It's an improvisation on a theme. You know where you want to go, but you don't know how to get there. It's not linear.
7. I still believe in the possibility of the United States, with all its will and all its strength, and I don't just mean military, persevering against any challenge. I still believe in that.
8. Bureaucracies have a natural tendency not to cooperate, coordinate or consolidate with each other. They won't cooperate with each other - unless they are forced to do so by political level authority.
9. The United Nations is an indispensable but deeply flawed organization. It is valuable to the United States, and the United States is invaluable to it. We need to reform it.
10. Know something about something. Don’t just present your wonderful self to the world. Constantly amass knowledge and offer it around.

Richard Holbrooke Famous Quotes And Sayings

I think history is continuous. It doesn't begin or end on Pearl Harbor Day or the day Lyndon Johnson withdraws from the presidency or on 9/11. You have to learn from the past but not be imprisoned by it. You need to take counsel of history but never be imprisoned by it. — Richard Holbrooke

"I tell you," he [Milosevic] continued, "Izetbegovic has earned Sarajevo by not abandoning it. He's one tough guy. It's his". These words were probably the most astonishing and unexpected of the conference. — Richard Holbrooke

Nothing generates more heat in the government than the question of who is chosen to participate in important meetings. — Richard Holbrooke

It is essential that the foreign forces who have invaded and occupy large parts of the Congo halt their offensive action — Richard Holbrooke

The World War II generation believed the United States could do anything - anything... And Vietnam was a shattering experience for everyone. — Richard Holbrooke

A peace deal requires agreements, and you don't make agreements with your friends, you make agreements with your enemies. — Richard Holbrooke

If a country denies it has AIDS, that country will inevitably become an even greater victim. — Richard Holbrooke

Our enemy is Al Qaeda and its allies, people who have publicly said they wish to attack the United States again, people who have publicly called on nuclear physicists and engineers to help them gain access to nuclear weapons, which, as the whole world knows, Pakistan has. — Richard Holbrooke

United Nations peacekeepers are going all over the world spreading AIDS even while they're trying to bring peace. What a supreme irony. — Richard Holbrooke

There is a split between Muslims who want to practice their faith in peace and tolerance with other religions and other people, and these extreme, radical fundamentalists who have shown a total lack of tolerance for people with different views, starting with people who they don't think are good Muslims, and going on to include Christians and Jews. — Richard Holbrooke

In diplomacy, as in life itself, one often learns more from failures than from successes. Triumphs will seem, in retrospect, to be foreordained, a series of brilliant actions and decisions that may in fact have been lucky or inadvertent, whereas failures illuminate paths and pitfalls to be avoided. — Richard Holbrooke

Life Lessons by Richard Holbrooke

1. Richard Holbrooke's work demonstrates the importance of diplomatic solutions to international conflicts. He was a master negotiator, and his legacy emphasizes the value of compromise and understanding between nations.
2. Holbrooke's career also highlights the importance of persistence and resilience in the face of adversity. He was a tireless advocate for peace and was willing to take risks and make difficult decisions to achieve his goals.
3. Finally, Holbrooke's work serves as a reminder that diplomacy is a powerful tool that can be used to solve complex global issues. He believed in the power of dialogue and cooperation to bring about lasting peace.