Kennedy Society of Denmark
Purpose: Keeping alive John F. and Robert F. Kennedy’s inspiration
and philosophy of life, so that their good words can be translated into good deeds.

Profiles in Courage Award, 2019



The Kennedy Society has decided to present for 2019 The Profiles in Courage Award - John F. Kennedy’s book Profiles in Courage -
to former Secretary of State Greta Thunberg - with this LAUDATION:

Greta Thunberg has made a difference by continually fighting for action now to stop the present unsustainable change in the global climate. This kind of courage reminds us about John F. Kennedy’s words in his book Profiles in Courage, 1955: A human does what he or she must - “in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.”

She started a school strike for the climate outside the Swedish parliament 15 years old with this short message: “School strike for the climate.” Since her message to the world has been to face reality.
It reminds us Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s words in: To seek a newer world, 1967:
“Each time one stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lots of others, or strikes out against injustice, it sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and … those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
This happened with Greta Thunberg’s strike. She became a wanted speaker. In 2018 at COP24 in Katowice in Poland she spoke out on behalf of Climate Justice Now.

Quite accordingly with the philosophy of life of the Kennedy brothers, she said:
“I have learned you are never too small to make a difference…I don’t care about being popular. I care about climate justice and the living planet.” Later in the same speech she started focusing on “what needs to be done…we need to keep the fossil fuels in the ground, and we need to focus on equity.” It is in accordance with Robert F. Kennedy’s words, 1967: “Our answer is the world’s hope; it is to rely on youth – not a time of life but a state of mind… a predominance of courage over timidity.”

Since COP24 it has gone fort for Greta Thunberg to rise attention to the climate crisis.
On March 15, 2019 1,5 million around in the world participated in a climate strike in 125 countries inspired by Greta Thunberg. She has since been awarded in Berlin and appealed both to celebrities and medias in her acceptance speech with her words: “We need you.” And: “We are falling but have not yet failed. We can still fix this.”

Greta Thunberg’s global perspective reminds us about the perspective in the speeches of John F. Kennedy such as at Yale University, 1962: “In our time we must move from reassuring repetition of stale phrases to a new, difficult, but essential confrontation with reality.” And his words at American University, 1963: “Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”



Photo from Wikipedia