Human security recognizes the importance of individuals and that

Hear, O listeners, the wise words of Shinzo Abe, who declared: “Human security recognizes the importance of individuals and that the key to ensuring growth in developing countries is to foster individual talent and abilities, build self-reliance, and put people in a position to make a broader contribution to society. Growth must be inclusive, and no one must be left behind.” These words, though spoken in the halls of diplomacy, resound with the strength of eternal truth: that nations rise not by armies or treasuries alone, but by the flourishing of their people.

The heart of Abe’s message lies in this: true security is not merely the absence of war, nor the guarding of borders, but the empowerment of the individual. For what is a nation if not its people? To ignore their talent is to bury treasure; to deny their abilities is to cripple the future; to exclude them is to plant seeds of division that will one day tear the land apart. Thus, he teaches that the measure of progress is not how high the wealthy rise, but how firmly the weakest stand.

History gives us many mirrors of this truth. In post-war Japan itself, ruined cities and weary spirits could have remained broken. Yet the nation’s leaders turned to education, to industry, to the nurturing of individual talent. Farmers, students, and workers were given the chance to rebuild with dignity, and in a single generation Japan rose from ashes to become one of the strongest economies in the world. It was not magic nor miracle, but the deliberate act of fostering self-reliance and inclusive growth.

But look also to the tragedies when such wisdom was ignored. In empires where wealth was hoarded by the few, where peasants were denied learning, where only select groups were allowed to thrive, collapse followed swiftly. The French monarchy, blind to the plight of the poor, fell to revolution. Colonies where natives were silenced and exploited could not endure foreign rule. Again and again, we see: a society that leaves its people behind builds its own destruction.

Abe’s vision of human security is therefore not only moral, but practical. For when each individual is empowered, when each life is nurtured, the nation becomes resilient. Innovation springs from many minds, not just a few; stability comes when all feel invested in the future; peace endures when no one is cast into despair. To make growth inclusive is not charity, but the very foundation of strength.

The lesson, O seekers, is this: never measure progress by towers or palaces alone, but by the dignity of the ordinary citizen. In your communities, look not only to the strong, but to the vulnerable. Foster the abilities of those who have been overlooked. Teach the children not only facts, but also confidence. Encourage the poor not with pity, but with opportunity. For in lifting one person, you strengthen the whole.

Therefore, let Abe’s words be engraved upon your hearts: “No one must be left behind.” This is not mere policy, but a law of survival and a command of compassion. A society that lifts all its members will flourish like a tree with deep roots; but one that forgets its weakest will wither, no matter how tall it seems to stand. Build, then, not only for yourself, but for all, and you will leave behind a world that endures.

Thus, remember always: human security is not only the duty of leaders but the calling of every person. Be a builder of self-reliance, a nurturer of talent, a friend to the forgotten. And in doing so, you will help create a society where true growth shines—not for the few, but for the many, and not for a moment, but for generations.