Angela Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Harvard Commencement Address
Harvard University, 2019
Aperçu
Even that which seems unbendable can, with pressure, bend.
Recommendation
In an inspiring message to Harvard’s graduating class of 2019, German chancellor Angela Merkel harkens back to her youth in East Germany. Communicating through a translator, she recalls living behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War and draws parallels between the challenges her generation faced and the obstacles that confront today’s young leaders. Merkel’s message is ultimately hopeful and uplifting. She encourages young leaders to be daring while respecting others and choosing an honorable path, and she reminds her young audience that even that which seems unbendable can, with pressure, bend.
Summary
About the Speaker
Angela Merkel is the chancellor of Germany. She served as the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union from 2000 to 2018.
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