Since 1976, Rolex has honoured extraordinary individuals who possess the courage and conviction to take on major challenges. Each Rolex Award for Enterprise is given for a new or ongoing project anywhere in the world – one that deserves support for its capacity to improve lives, or protect the world’s natural and cultural heritage. These projects have touched all aspects of humanity by expanding knowledge or improving life on the planet. Please discover below the poetic speech by Vincent Avanzi for the Rolex Awards.

Rolex Awards Poetic Speech to celebrate social enterprise
From a “New York Minute” to a “New World Minute”
From Charity to Sharity in Humanity

Verse 1: The Future in the making

First off, I would like to pay homage to the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf
From his initial project of watches to the pilots of the Royal Air Force,
To giving his shares into his Foundation as a real choice.

This is post capitalism ahead of our time on a platform
Like the oyster and the jewel in it for us to explore outside of the box
Thank you for your entrepreneurial quest for meaning century-long support.

Then, I would like to thank all the laureates
Who help shake the present and shape the planet with upmost respect,
And help us share that sensation never lost in transaction of that “overview effect “
Of what is right and good on one side and what is left to do for the rest on the other.

Over 40 years of enterprising spirit with meaningful social impact inside a global pact.
Congratulations for your inspiration, your imagination, your determination, your actions,
Your deep concern and consideration for Mankind, progress and the nature of the planet.
You do personify what is called the “Sustainable Development Index”.

With projects ranging from Science and health, applied technology, poverty and inequalities
Cultural heritage, endangered species, exploration and discovery,
All pioneers in their fields who help sectors with low fundings,
You are not History in the making but thanks to you, WE are the Future in the making!

Thank you for your engagement, your empowerment,
Your excitement and your commitment to preserve our environment
As a possible star gate to enlightenment

Because when you change the world, it’s a chance for all.
Any individual against all odds, making the most of their soul:
When you change the world, it’s a chance for love.

Verse 2: From your Genius Spot to being One

So yes, this is rewarding your real degree of excellence
Regarding your pedigree of world conscience,
As well as your remarkable skills to live up to your dreams
For the well-being and belief in what you can achieve !

Enterprise and leadership, harmonize your energy, humanize your partnership,
The revolution will be televised on a barter ship for a world wide win win.
All backgrounds, all countries, all ages, all ideas with the same ideal:
“Make tomorrow a better place than today for our kids”.

Education is freedom, contemplation is wisdom,
Celebration when you come, march of nations in rhythm.
The world is a roadmap and the Earth is a life
With love in a postcard in the birth of a heart

So what is your passion, your Genius Spot, your mission, your Ikigai
When you connect your dots and never stop to reach the sky like a butterfly?
Live and let live, the future is not a race against time
It’s the dream of a world made a better place when we shine
By our personal fights and unique connected walks of life.

The greatest teachers are actually often also the best students,
And the brightest wisdom may be welcoming life with patience.
We all want to be number one, but what about being just ONE!
One World, One Future, and maybe in that case, we’ll have all won.

Verse 3: Solidarity, the Entrepreneur ship of the future

In this time of change of civilization,
Climate change and united nations,
We see a glimpse of a possible reconciliation
For the sake of the future generations.

Improve lives, protect our heritage and unity,
Improvised in projects to celebrate Humanity,
May this come as a dedication and testimony,
To bring the best out of innovation and diversity.

We all come from different boats and now we’re on the same ship,
The entrepreneur ship, the human relation ship,
A mix of social partner and caring leader ship.

And yes we are all extraordinary people,
Visionary pupils, imaginary and peaceful.
With one key word of life for a world of light:
“Solidarity” as a human inspirational symbol.

Verse 4 : Sharity and a good model for business

This morning, I felt the smell of your smile mixed with jasmine and humus
Incoming, micro loans for the poor, a little like Grameen and Yunus
From charity to share in deed, end poverty with property,
In the humility of our humanity lies the possibility of our unity.

So yes to all of you, please do dare to be YOU
And to become the master of your own ceremony
By taking every chance and every single opportunity
The sky is not the limit, the sky is your infinity
We all have at least one shot at our destiny
Both in our unique personal story
And collective rendez-vous with History.

Imagine we have a dream,
Imagine we are a team
Imagine we all say oui,
Imagine we can all be
Imagine we might just win,
Imagine that this is reality.

Did you make anybody smile today, anybody’s life better?
Have your organization felt useful in a specific way?
Do you feel like you learned something on the way?
And that you took a sincere direction when you press play?

What is your purpose in all of this riddle,
Your reason of being and Happiness Index?
It’s not just what kind of “business model”,
It’s about being a good model for business…

Verse 5: Humanism and the New World Minute

From capitalism to humanism,
A world guided by product and hard money to one balanced by the promise of harmony,
You show us how to believe in our collective dreams to succeed at least in our humanity.
Share and care, solve a society problem rather than a stakeholder pattern, as a U turn in eternity.

So be great-ly useful and be gently grateful,
We’re all powerful and oh so wonderful,
And the world is beyond beautiful so let the future just be cool.

Take a chance, roll, come in the dance floor
Make your best goals spend your next loans
Never give up, fold, give it your great all and continue to bless all

Dear social entrepreneurs you are the authentic true innovators, of our times,
The change makers and actors of the film to make our lives better, with a smile,
Together and forever, and worldwide.
In the end, we will say: Yes it was worthwhile.
Yes we can, yes we will and soon to be yes we did, in our ride.

With the magic of the wisdom of Oz
Let’s give you more round of applause
To all of you who pursue a noble cause
Always ahead time but still taking time to accelerate and meditate,
Appreciate and levitate
Because when time is of the essence and life is on the balance,
It’s good to know also… when to pause…

For the celebration of your stone, the exploration of your soul,
The determination in your goals to take care of us all, in our home sweet home
To embrace the whole world in the wheels of time as we mean it
This isn’t a New York minute but more likely: the New World Minute.

And for that, the 60th Rolex Awards celebrating meaningful enterprise sounds like a tribute
To how everyone around the world can simply chose a fight and contribute.

Dear citizens of the world, young leaders of tomorrow,
Actors that persevere to our goals that benefit to us all,
It’s the passionate people who change the world into a more peaceful nest
And these are all ordinary people that chose to make extraordinary steps.

So to all the crazy ones who have the audacity of hope,
To chase love and bring it back to the city of lights like a “blue note”
We can admire them, criticize them but we can’t ignore them
Because in the end they make change happen with their own hands.

Author : Vincent Avanzi
Chief Poetic Officer
A Human Odyssey – The Ink Of The Future

About the Author : Vincent Avanzi is a modern-day poet, a TEDx international speaker and Chief Poetic Officer, founder of A Human Odyssey – The Ink of the Future. Two time globe-trotter, he traveled to more than 65 countries and one of his world tours was entitled “12 Steps to change yourself in order to change the world”.