It wasn’t a Nobel Peace Prize, but the honor given Sir Elton John at Harvard came with a speech as uplifting as any in Norway.

“I’ve seen the power of the human spirit translated into compassion and extraordinary global progress,” John said as he received the Harvard Foundation’s Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award.

“This has been the most important lesson of my life. Nothing is more profound or more powerful than recognizing our common humanity.”

John was honored for his philanthropic work, including his aim “to fund and raise awareness about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and to advocate for the rights of all people affected by the AIDS epidemic,” said Rakesh Khurana, Danoff dean of Harvard College.

John credited a meeting with Ryan White, the American teenager who was infected with HIV/AIDS in a blood transfusion as inspiring him to “turn my own life around.”

“Ryan was the spark that helped me recover from my addictions and led to me to start the Elton John AIDS Foundation. …It was through humanitarian pursuits that my life took on a vastly new meaning and relevance.

“Today my mission is to help other people embrace their own humanity and that of others. It’s the most powerful and positive force in the whole wide world.”

John decried growing racial injustice and violence against transgender people.

“I promise you, we can rise above it and lift people up. We can pull together, we can change the world,” he said. “It all starts with embracing our common humanity. It’s the most powerful force on earth.”

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