Eight countries in Latin America have elected leaders who said no to economic hit men in the past and are trying to do what's best for their people, he said.

More change is happening even in the United States as Americans are waking up to the harmful legacy the country is leaving around the world, he said.

Many are realizing the corporate culture in the U.S. needs to change. Profits can still be made, "but in a way that promotes a sustainable, stable and peaceful world," Perkins said.

Corporate workers want to make this change too, he said, but "they need our help, and they need our permission."

One positive means for change is that corporations are entirely dependent on consumers, he said.

"All of us are the constituency of every corporation out there, and we have incredible power to change things," he said.

Even on the OU campus, there is enormous potential for change, he said. The university contracts with Coca Cola and Nike, both of which need to improve their social and environmental policies, he said.

Individuals can work for change by making small steps, such as writing letters to companies or not buying sweat shop products, he said. He pointed out the impact that Rosa Parks made with a simple act of refusing to give up her seat for a white man.

"Who the hell was Rosa Parks?" Perkins asked. "She's you."

He brought up his third-grade teacher who taught him how to stand up to and befriend bullies. Without her, Perkins said, he would not be the person he is.

He drew a parallel between the Revolutionary War and the movement for global change today. Each person in the war did what they were best at, he said.

"Everyone was taking a different path, they were following passions and talents, but they were all moving toward the same goal," he said. Perkins encouraged students to follow their talents and passions to bring change.

Perkins said the intent of his time with students Tuesday was that when they left the auditorium, they would be united in their goal of creating a better world.

The students who attended Tuesday gave Perkins a standing ovation at the end of his talk.

Ephraim Alajaji, a 20-year-old sophomore, said the speech was sobering, but he believed what Perkins said was true. As much as Americans just want to be happy in their consumerism, they can't avoid what's going on in the rest of the world, he said.