Nobel lecture (2001)
Context: A genocide begins with the killing of one man — not for what he has done, but because of who he is. A campaign of 'ethnic cleansing' begins with one neighbour turning on another. Poverty begins when even one child is denied his or her fundamental right to education. What begins with the failure to uphold the dignity of one life, all too often ends with a calamity for entire nations.
In this new century, we must start from the understanding that peace belongs not only to states or peoples, but to each and every member of those communities. The sovereignty of States must no longer be used as a shield for gross violations of human rights. Peace must be made real and tangible in the daily existence of every individual in need. Peace must be sought, above all, because it is the condition for every member of the human family to live a life of dignity and security.
“We must start human society from scratch; as Francis Bacon said, we must recreate human understanding.”
"Reflections and Anecdotes", nr. 264 (Douglas Parmée translation)
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Nicolas Chamfort 54
French writer 1741–1794Related quotes
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Source: Information, The New Language of Science (2003), Chapter 3, In-Formation, The roots of the concept, p. 18
Human Sexuality: It All Started With An Apple! http://www.priestsforlife.org/library/5154-and-it-all-started-with-an-apple (January 13, 2015)
Who is Lucifer?
The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition Into the Forces of History (1997)
"My Six Conversions, § II : When the World Turned Back" in The Wells and the Shallows (1935)
Context: The Church never said that wrongs could not or should not be righted; or that commonwealths could not or should not be made happier; or that it was not worth while to help them in secular and material things; or that it is not a good thing if manners become milder, or comforts more common, or cruelties more rare. But she did say that we must not count on the certainty even of comforts becoming more common or cruelties more rare; as if this were an inevitable social trend towards a sinless humanity; instead of being as it was a mood of man, and perhaps a better mood, possibly to be followed by a worse one. We must not hate humanity, or despise humanity, or refuse to help humanity; but we must not trust humanity; in the sense of trusting a trend in human nature which cannot turn back to bad things.
Source: The Margarets (2007), Chapter 14, “I Am Margaret/On Earth” (p. 114)
“This is good, life must continue, we are fighting barbarians, but we must remain human.”
Source: City of Thieves
"A Talk to Western Buddhists" p. 87.
The Dalai Lama: A Policy of Kindness (1990)