World Leader for Peace and Security Award
America at 250: A Beacon for the AI Age
May 1, 2026, Harvard University Loeb House
Distinguished guests, honored leaders, dear friends, and members of the Boston Global Forum family,
Today, we—Governor Michael S. Dukakis, Nguyen Anh Tuan, and Professor Thomas E. Patterson, co-founders of the Boston Global Forum—have the profound honor of presenting the World Leader for Peace and Security Award to the Leaders of the United States and the American People.
We do so at a truly historic moment.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, we gather not only to celebrate the enduring journey of the United States, but also to honor a nation and a people whose contributions have helped shape the cause of liberty, democratic governance, peace, security, and human progress across generations.
For 250 years, the United States of America has stood as more than a nation. It has stood as a great and enduring idea: that human beings are born with dignity, that liberty is the right of all, that government must answer to the people, and that peace and security are strongest when rooted in justice, law, responsibility, and moral courage.
The American journey has never been simple. It has known hardship and hope, conflict and reconciliation, sacrifice and renewal. Yet again and again, the United States has shown an extraordinary capacity to rise, to renew itself, and to move forward with courage and purpose.
That is why this occasion carries such deep meaning.
Today, we honor the leaders of the United States, across generations, for bearing the heavy responsibilities of leadership in times of trial and transformation—for helping protect constitutional order, safeguard peace and security, and uphold principles that have inspired people far beyond America’s shores.
And we honor the American people, because the deepest strength of the United States has always lived in them: in their courage, their resilience, their creativity, their generosity, their civic spirit, and their determination to renew the promise of democracy for every generation.
America at 250 is not only the story of presidents, institutions, and historic documents. It is also the story of citizens and communities, of workers and teachers, of soldiers and scientists, of immigrants and dreamers, of families who built, defended, and renewed a nation that continues to inspire the world.
Today, this tribute has even greater significance because humanity is entering a new era—the AI Age.
In this age, peace and security must be understood more broadly and more deeply. They require not only national strength and strategic vision, but also the protection of human dignity, the integrity of information, the resilience of democratic institutions, and the responsible governance of artificial intelligence.
This is why America’s role remains so vital.
With its traditions of constitutional liberty, open inquiry, innovation, academic excellence, and democratic debate, the United States has a unique responsibility to help shape a future in which technology serves humanity, strengthens democracy, and advances civilization with wisdom and moral purpose.
At the Boston Global Forum, we have sought to contribute to that mission through initiatives such as AI World Society, The Social Contract for the AI Age, AIWS Government 24/7, and Trust Infrastructure for Democracy in the AI Age. These efforts are guided by a simple conviction: that in the AI Age, progress must be guided by ethics, freedom must be strengthened by trust, and intelligence must be elevated by humanity.
So today, as we honor the Leaders of the United States and the American People, we do so not only in recognition of the past, but also in hope for the future.
We honor America for what it has contributed to peace, security, liberty, democratic renewal, and the advancement of civilization.
And we look to America’s next chapter with confidence and hope—that it will continue to be a beacon of freedom, responsibility, innovation, trust, and humanity for the AI Age.
It is therefore with deep respect, admiration, and gratitude that we present the World Leader for Peace and Security Award to the Leaders of the United States and the American People.
May America continue to shine as a beacon for peace, security, liberty, and human dignity.
God bless America, and thank you.
