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Democracy is not an end in itself, but a means to achieve the sacred promises of human dignity, justice and peace.

Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

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Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
Age: 77
Born: 1947
Born: May 31
Historian
Historian Of The Modern Age
Jurist
Lawyer
Peace Activist
Poet Lawyer
Translator
Havana
Cuba
Means
Promises
Ends
Dignity
Human
Sacred
Humans
Promise
Mean
Achieve
Democracy
Justice
Peace

More quotes by Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

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The United Nations is the best hope to spare humanity from the barbarity of war, from the senseless death, destruction and dislocation it brings about.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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The unfair composition of the Security Council is largely acknowledged. The principal defects are the anachronistic privileges of the five permanent members of the Council and the Council's insufficient representativeness.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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Self-censorship as a result of intimidation or social pressures, sometimes referred to as political correctness, constitutes a serious obstacle to the proper functioning of democracy. It is important to hear the views of all persons,including the silent majority, and to give heed to the weaker voices.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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I urge Governments to considerably reduce funds allocated to the military, not only as a disarmament issue, but also as a potential contributor to social and environmental protection and call for the holding of referenda on this issue worldwide.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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Some observers compare elections in some countries with sports events, where people are but spectators. Moreover, elections must not be mere interludes for pushing a lever and then retreating to passivity, for democracy demands committed participation in the daily workings of society.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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The families of the killed and disappeared are entitled to the right to know what happened to their loved ones, and to adequate reparation for the suffering endured.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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If you censor yourself, if you cannot articulate your needs, if you cannot articulate your priorities, then whatever you do, putting a little cross in a ballot box, etc, does not represent your view. It is an act of desperation.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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Respect for human rights requires transparent and accountable institutions and governance as well as the effective participation of all individuals and civil society, who are an essential part of realizing social and people-centred sustainable development.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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Peace is not the silence of cemeteries, but the song of social justice.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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Democracy is not the end product, but the means to the end, which is the enjoyment of human rights by all.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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I condemn the lack of proper investigation of the massacres and the impunity of those responsible for them.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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You should not be subjected to the pressures, the intimidation, whether by Government or by the private sector, which would force you into self-censorship.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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Education is necessary to unlearn privilege, unlearn exclusion, unlearn discrimination, unlearn prejudice, unlearn war.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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No country has a perfect report card. While some countries have strong points in specific areas, they may have serious lacunae in other areas. For instance, some countries have made enormous progress on civil and political rights, but lag in the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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Representative democracy betrays the electorate when laws have no roots in the people but in oligarchies. Studies on the concept and modalities of direct democracy are therefore becoming more topical
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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In a democracy, it is the people who are sovereign. Therefore, with regard to the promotion of democracy at the local, country and regional levels, civil society must have a stronger voice in all political processes.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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Global military spending levels constitute an unconscionable use of resources and remain at an all-time high, reaching a total of USD 1.75 trillion in 2012, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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It is time to reinvigorate the UN General Assembly so that it can exercise a more decisive role in peace-making and peace-keeping, consistent with the will of the international community.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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When negotiations are at an impasse, when States dig their heels in, it is time to 'undig' them in a spirit of compromise. We all need to unlearn the predator in us, unlearn discrimination, unlearn privilege.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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One of the problems that we have in the human rights community is that special interests often forget the interests of other victims, and there's competition among victims expressions that are unnecessary.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas