Friends and comrades, esteemed leaders and delegations, I came here today with one word on my mind, but on the way here, I also thought long and hard about our children – the children of Valkyria, of Hystaiga, of Ryccia, of Frost – our children of all nations. I think about all that they've had to endure for years on end – years of war, of violence, of bloodshed. A generation of children in this world will live the rest of their lives knowing the pains of war, and Valkyria will be no different. Our children, some of whom were forever lost in these wars, will remember these years – remember the failures of their leaders.

I cannot say that I know everyone in this hall, nor their histories or life experiences, but allow me to share mine. My parents were human rights activists who stood against oppression and tyranny. For their stand, they were imprisoned and tortured. Eventually, they were set free after the tyrants who sent them there were overthrown by a revolution of a million people – ordinary people – who came out of their homes and workplaces to end the fascist regime. Our tyrants, fearful of the people they oppressed – how does the Austral phrase go? – ran for the hills, and my nation was finally a democracy, imperfect, but a democracy nonetheless.

Growing up, I knew only democracy, but I also only knew peace, all for the first 30 years of my life. I was a sailor – joined the navy – but not for any cause in particular. I thought about the adventure more than the thought that I would have to take someone's life. I spent 11 years in the military before having to do that, but no training in all that time prepared me for the day that I took someone's life. 2014 was not a glorious year, not by any account. By my count, my hands are responsible for the death of at least 114 people, 114 too many. I don't have any hatred for the people I killed because I know they were pawns. They didn't choose to be part of that war, that decision was made for them by their leaders who ruled from afar.

Neither I nor my comrades were given a choice either. That choice too was made for us by people who thought they knew better. Time and again, the choices they made only led to more pain and suffering. Until last year, I had but one child. Today, she sits in Odin's hall, Valhalla, alongside all of the slain. She was only 20 years old. Same as I don't blame the Sporaltryan soldiers I killed, I don't blame the Hystaigan soldiers who killed my daughter. None of us had any choice, for that choice was made for us. So, as we sit here in his hall, I want you all to understand that the choices we make today will affect millions, if not hundreds of millions, of people we will never know, but they will know us and the choices we make.

I want to thank the Peony, Valkyria's southern neighbour, for inviting us all here in a time of great need. I also want to point out that both Valkyria and Hystaiga are here today at this summit. As we speak, our foreign ministers are negotiating the terms for peace between our two nations. One thing is clear: Valkyria is no longer interested in war, and as long as the people of my nation keep me and like-minded people around as their voice, that will always remain true. I had shared with you a story about me, but now, I want to share a story of my nation.

The largest, most populous city in Valkyria is Gullkysten, a city resting along the mainland's coastline and one that I had come to know very well. It is a peaceful city today, but you wouldn't know that a thousand years ago. Countless people died on that land because of conflict between warring clans in the north and the south. I am not ashamed to admit that Valkyria's history is one of blood. War was in our culture and, to some extent, it still exists today. We honour all who die in battle. Our nation's highest honour is the Order of Einherjar, granted to all who meet glorious death in battle. We believe that all who die in this way will be taken by the valkyries to Valhalla for an even more glorious afterlife.

And so, our ancestors fought for centuries more than a thousand years ago. The city that we now call Gullkysten was the battleground between clans. It was a battle for land, for water, for honour. For six hundred years, so many people fought along that coast and died. Wars waged on that land for centuries because of broken promises, instigators, or just war for the sake of war. Then, one day, the leaders of the two largest clans forged an alliance and agreed to merge and defend that land against anyone who tried to take it. It was then in 996 that the era of warring clans ended and Gullkysten began.

For those of you who do not know, Gullkysten is Valkyrian for "the Gold Coast", but it wasn't because there was any gold. It represented the prosperous future of that land, its promise, its potential. For a thousand years, that land knew peace. I spent ten years of my life in that beautiful, peaceful city. Sometimes, I'd enjoy a cup of coffee at sunrise while watching and listening to the roaring waves of the sea. I felt at peace with everything around me. Then, 2014 happened. The city I had come to love was destroyed by war. I was there as friends and comrades died. So many innocent people – civilians – were killed. Over what? To this day, I have no idea what this fight was over other than the selfishness and greed of our leaders.

There is a reason why I am telling you these stories. The first thing I told you was that I had one word on my mind, and that word was "choice". We, the people sitting here at this roundtable, have the ability to make a choice that carries so much weight. We are among the few who have that ability. It's always easy to make the choice that's convenient, but it is the hardest choice of all to do what is right. That is the choice that protects as many people as possible, the choice that results in the least pain, and the choice that allows our children to live long, full, and happy lives. All of us here have a choice either to continue needless suffering or bring about peace in our time for all time. That is a choice we will all have to make.

I cannot promise you that the path to peace will be easy, nor can I promise you that future leaders will honour the promises we make today. Despite Valkyrian culture valuing those who keep their promises, we admittedly do an awful, lousy job of doing just that. However, I can make a promise to you today, tomorrow, and in the foreseeable future that Valkyria's choice is the choice of peace for all Valkyrians, for all Hystaigans, for all people in all corners of this world. Six years ago, our prime minister, Margaret Harrison, saw to it that Valkyria's national motto was "peace, freedom, and democracy". My choice is to live up to that motto, for it is our national promise, but I will add three words: for all people. That is my promise.