Never give up

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I noted articles in the Guardian this weekend recording, in the first instance, the death of Ben Ferencz, who was the last surviving prosecutor from the post-war Nürnberg trials. The second was from Nadia Khomami, his co-author of a book written when he was 100, entitled 'Parting Words'.

What is clear from the articles is that as a young man he was thrust into situations that no one should witness in Nazi death camps, as a result of which he rose to the moment, used the skills and training he had been given in law at Harvard and then as a US infantryman in Europe to become a legal prosecutor, almost overnight.  He led the trial of the Nazis who had commanded death squads at the age of 27.

What was just as notable was his lasting commitment to the rule of law and its use as an alternative to war. His work inspired the creation of the International Criminal Court. He was as tireless in seeking reparations for those who had suffered wrongs at the hands of the Nazis.

I love the comment his co-author made on the three pieces of advice that he always offered to anyone who asked what he had learned from living as long as he did. He said first, never give up. Second, never give up. And third, never give up. The message was, of course, that there is always hope.

It is hard not to be awed by a person who lived their life in pursuit of a greater purpose. That seems to be what  Ben Ferencz did.

I will heed his advice.


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