COP21: An Open Letter of Gratitude

To Remarkable People from All Walks of Life Who, for Over Two Decades, Made Their Contribution -- Both Humble and High -- to the Success of Paris:

To those who walked, to those who prayed,
To those who sang, to those who cried,
To those who challenged, to those who supported,
To those who acted early,
To those who came with hope,
To those who came with facts,
To those who used the power of their influence,
To those who honored the public trust bestowed upon them,
To all those, the millions of people around the world
Who labored now and before,
So long and so hard, I say:
This is your success.
Individually for each of you, but, more powerfully, collectively for all of us.

A critical milestone reached, a decisive turning point inscribed into history.
We have come together to address the most daunting of challenges.
We have done so by respecting our differences and setting aside our enmity,
By focusing on the present we share
And the future we must build together.

As we celebrate this momentous step, may we remember
That the journey ahead, although irreversible, will equally require
Our determination, our ingenuity, the best of our
Humanity and above all our community of purpose.

Together we can.

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This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post, in conjunction with the U.N.'s 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris (Nov. 30-Dec. 11), aka the climate-change conference. The series will put a spotlight on climate-change issues and the conference itself. To view the entire series, visit here.