Joichi Ito Quotes & Sayings

“We have a long way to go before we are able to hear the voices of everyone on earth, but I believe that providing voices and building bridges is essential for the World Peace we all wish for.”

“If we destroy human rights and rule of law in the response to terrorism, they have won.”

“Liberty, freedom and democracy are very fuzzy words, but human rights is very specific.”

“The US constitution's First Amendment rights only cover Americans, but I believe that in a democracy the competition of ideas and free speech should combat beliefs that it does not agree with - more speech and debate, not censorship.”

“In a world where discovery is more important than delivery, it's the people who find, remix and direct attention to old stuff that should be rewarded, not the people who deliver it or sit on it waiting for someone to show up.”

“I agree that it is not just the extremists who harbor bad thoughts or engage in bad acts, but they are usually the source of the polarization and try to keep education and communication of the main stream from moving forward.”

“I have always viewed my role as a sort of ambassador or bridge between groups to help provide a dialog.”

“Most creative work is a process of people passing ideas and inspirations from the past into the future and adding their own creativity along the way.”

“Upholding human rights is not merely compatible with fighting terrorism, it is essential.”

“The idea of trying to fight against extremism was written off as naive.”