In times of conflict war poverty or religious fundamentalism women and children are the first and most numerous victims. Women need all their courage today.

This nation has always struggled with how it was going to deal with poor people and people of color. Every few years you will see some great change in the way that they approach this. We've had the war on poverty that never really got into waging a real war on poverty.

Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change.

Poverty is uncomfortable but nine times out of ten the best thing that can happen to a young man is to be tossed overboard and compelled to sink or swim.

Though there might not be any easy answers to the problem of poverty its most compelling scribes do not resign themselves to representation solely for the sake of those age-old verities of truth and beauty.

My sisters and I were fortunate to travel through Asia and Europe at very young ages. We confronted extraordinary beauty in Athens and unspeakable poverty in India.

A day spent without the sight or sound of beauty the contemplation of mystery or the search of truth or perfection is a poverty-stricken day and a succession of such days is fatal to human life.

My attitude to peace is rather based on the Burmese definition of peace - it really means removing all the negative factors that destroy peace in this world. So peace does not mean just putting an end to violence or to war but to all other factors that threaten peace such as discrimination such as inequality poverty.

What matters poverty? What matters anything to him who is enamoured of our art? Does he not carry in himself every joy and every beauty?

I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times.