Dr. Mara Sweeney delivered these remarks at the 36th Annual Evening for Peace on October 20, 2019.
My name is Mara, and I am David Krieger’s daughter. It is an honor to be standing up here tonight speaking about my dad. My dad, David Krieger. (The Peace Dude.)
I grew up in a home where some of the finest people of our time came. The Dalai Lama, Jacques Cousteau, Daniel Ellsberg, and Linus Pauling to name a few, have all been to my house. In fact, a few times a year, someone was at our house, sitting at our dining table or in our living room with my dad. I knew this wasn’t normal, but it actually kind of was at my house. These people came to speak with my Dad. What I am really proud of and continue to be in awe of is my dad’s thoughtful, measured and deliberate responses and questions. He is wise.
My dad has a PhD in international relations and is also an attorney. He had opportunities to teach at university, to practice law…shoot he was almost the in house counsel to a little gaming company called Nintendo way back in the day…However, he could not turn away from the work of waging peace and nuclear abolition. I am so proud of his dedication.
When my son, Nat, and I joined my dad on a trip to Japan a few years ago, I was overwhelmed at the reception he received in so many places there. In Japan, where people sadly know the horrors of nuclear weapons, my dad is a hero. It was like a rock star had entered the room when he entered. It was wonderful to see the appreciation.
My dad has worked toward his goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and the threat they pose for as long as I can remember. He has worked toward a more peaceful world, a safer world for all of us, day after day, year after year because it is the right thing to do. It has not been easy. He has pushed back against complacency, ignorance and fear. He has dug in when others might have quit. He has never stopped writing, speaking, and thinking of how to accomplish this goal. I am proud of his perseverance.
Like so many daughters, my dad is my hero. He is wise, he is thoughtful, dedicated, creative.
On behalf of my family, my mom, my brothers, my husband, my kids, my niece and nephews and my uncle who are all here tonight, and those in the family who were unable to be here but are sending their love from afar, We congratulate you Dad!! Thank you for inspiring us all to be better people, for inspiring us to be global citizens.