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"There are poor Portuguese and rich Portuguese; Portuguese who cannot read and cultured Portuguese; Portuguese who exploit and Portuguese who are exploited; Portuguese whose lives in America are a misery and Portuguese who find dignity only in America.​There are narrow-minded Americans and understanding Americans; Americans who exploit the Portuguese and Americans who help them; Americans who hate the Portuguese and Americans who admire them; stupid Americans and intelligent Americans.​​ So do not jump to conclusions about what the Portuguese are like and what the Americans are like.​ Tell me about João and Teresa, about Susan and Mary..."​

Pedro D’Orey da Cunha, Between Two Worlds‍

1. We are mindful of the danger of creating dividing lines, categories that pigeonhole us, or the stereotypes that inhabit us. We avoid categorizing anyone into a “single narrative” based on the group we place them in. We want to always remain open to the richness of each human being. Don’t talk to me about Portuguese people or Americans. Talk to me about João and Teresa, about Susan and Mary.
2. We reject any form of Manichaeism that labels large groups of people, classifying some as “good” and others as “bad.” Any generalization about a quality or flaw—associating it with a collective identity—is wrong. Don’t talk to me about Portuguese people or Americans. Talk to me about João and Teresa, about Susan and Mary.
3. We believe that every person is both a part of a community and an autonomous individual. We belong to multiple communities, and our autonomy is a work in progress. It is this intersection that shapes our individuality, even within a community. Don’t talk to me about Portuguese people or Americans. Talk to me about João and Teresa, about Susan and Mary
   

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“It gradually became clear to me that the line separating good and evil does not run between nations, between classes, or even between political parties—but rather through every human heart. And in every human heart, that line shifts. Within us, it shifts over the years. And even within hearts oppressed by evil, there will always be a glimmer of good. And even in the best of all hearts, a corner of evil will remain.”

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, in *The Gulag Archipelago*

1. We maintain that any perceptions that freeze a person’s character in time—even based on something wrong they have done—can mislead us. We are beings in constant evolution, and none of us ever loses the ability to let goodness flourish within us. Nor does any of us ever lose the risk of making mistakes. The line that separates good from evil runs through the heart of every person.
2. We recognize the complexity and have our doubts. We know that, so often, things are not what they seem, and that the truth is rarely just one thing. That is why we must be slow to judge and even slower to condemn definitively. We seek the most complete understanding possible and never forget that we are made of light and shadow. The line that separates good from evil runs through the heart of every person.

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"I have a dream that one day my four children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by their character."

Martin Luther King‍

1. We believe that no one should be judged, nor should their rights and duties be diminished or abolished, because of their membership in any ethnic, political, religious, or cultural group. No difference can diminish us. We do not want to be judged by the color of our skin, but by our character.
2. We believe in the principle of equity. We recognize that there are structural and individual inequalities that must be taken into account and eradicated, creating all the necessary conditions for true and complete equality of opportunity for all. We do not want to be judged by the color of our skin, but by our character.
3. We believe that every person’s freedom is a sacred right. We maintain that no adversity should rob anyone of the awareness that they can be “master of their own destiny / captain of their own soul.” But with that freedom comes responsibility for what we do and what we ignore. We do not want to be judged by the color of our skin, but by our character.
   

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"No one is born hating people because of the color of their skin, or their past, or their religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can also learn to love, since love is a feeling that comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

Nelson Mandela

1. We reject any expression of hatred and violence as driving forces of social transformation. Hate dehumanizes us and causes us to view the “other” as an “enemy”—and therefore as less human. We do not believe that any lasting good can come from violence. Only active nonviolence—motivated by love and respect, even for our adversaries—can bring about just and sustainable change. We need to learn to love.
2. We do not ignore the wounds left by the legacy of so many offenses against human dignity that the world has known. From slavery to anti-Semitism, from persecution on political, religious, or ideological grounds to racism, from gender-based violence to discrimination based on sexual orientation—among others—we bear a heavy legacy that, in some cases, is still very much present among us. We need to be aware that there is still a long way to go. Only when we discover in every person a brother or sister—equal in dignity and a partner in building a shared future—will we be able to grow in humanity. We need to learn to love.