    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [December 10, 1994]
    [Pages 2172-2173]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Concert of the Americas in Miami
    December 10, 1994

        Thank you. Thank you, Michael, my fellow leaders of the Americas and
    their families, and to all of our distinguished guests tonight. I know
    you all join me in a heartfelt thanks to David Salzman and to our friend
    Quincy Jones and all the wonderful entertainers from all over our
    hemisphere who made us so wonderfully happy tonight.
        We are gathered tonight as a family of nations, each with cultures
    that are unique and yet familiar to all of us. The arts help us to
    appreciate and to gain a deeper understanding of our hemispheric
    heritages, as well as the ideas, the voices, the images that we share as
    members of the larger American family.
        We all know that art strengthens the bonds among us. Our nations
    grow ever closer as we delve into the souls of our culture through our
    artists: the soaring voice of a Placido Domingo, the rich performances
    of the wonderful, late Raul Julia, the magical words of Nobel Prize
    winner Derrick Wolcott, and the many artists who are performing for us
    tonight.
        The poet Pablo Neruda, on receiving the Nobel Prize for literature,
    spoke of moving toward the splendid city. He reminded us that as we
    build a better world, the two guiding stars of our journey are struggle
    and hope. ``Do not forget,'' he said, ``on the way to the splendid city,
    there should be no such thing as a lone struggle and no such thing as a
    solitary hope.''
        Neighbor with neighbor, we have gathered here tonight in that
    spirit, to share our gifts, to contemplate our common destiny, to cele-

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    brate not only who we are but the joyous possibilities of what this
    splendid community of democracies can yet become.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:43 p.m. at the James L. Knight Center. In
    his remarks, he referred to actor Michael Douglas, television producer
    David Salzman, and musician Quincy Jones, who served as master of
    ceremonies.