When there are no gas chambers, no barbed wire, and no concentration camps, many don't recognize the perpetration of new genocides and other targeted mass atrocity crimes because they may not look the same.
Interpretation
This quote highlights how the absence of recognizable symbols of genocide can blind people to ongoing atrocities.
John Prendergast emphasizes that the lack of traditional indicators of genocide, such as gas chambers or concentration camps, can lead to a dangerous complacency. Many people may fail to recognize or acknowledge new forms of genocide and mass atrocities simply because they do not conform to historical examples, underlining the importance of vigilance and awareness in the face of evolving human rights abuses.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about the importance of recognizing modern atrocities in a human rights conference.
I see courage everywhere I go in Africa. Fearless human rights activists in Darfur. Women peace advocates in eastern Congo. Former child soldiers in Northern Uganda who now are helping other former child soldiers return to civilian life.
A man who is truthful and does not mean ill even to his adversary will be slow to believe charges even against his foes. He will, however, try to understand the viewpoints of his opponents and will always keep an open mind and seek every opportunity of serving his opponents.
There is a wolf in me... - I keep this wolf because the wilderness gave it to me and the wilderness will not let it go.
Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love and wisdom.
When we have emotions of fear and pity toward the hero of a tragedy, we explore aspects of our own vulnerability in a safe and pleasing setting.
It's hard to know when to respond to the seductiveness of the world and when to respond to its challenge. If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between the desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.
The value of life lies not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them... Whether you find satisfaction in life depends not on your tale of years, but on your will.
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