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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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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
Cemetery
Silence
Justice
Peace
Song
Social
Cemeteries

More quotes by 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
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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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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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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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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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Education is necessary to unlearn privilege, unlearn exclusion, unlearn discrimination, unlearn prejudice, unlearn war.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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World peace is threatened not only by weapons of mass destruction but also by conventional weapons which have led to countless violations of human rights, including the rights to life and to physical integrity. A strong treaty can contribute greatly to international and regional peace, security and stability.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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Attention must be given to the penal consequences of violations of the right to peace, including the punishment by domestic courts or in due time by the International Criminal Court of those who have engaged in aggression and propaganda for war.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
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It is the responsibility of all of us to remind governments of their commitments to settle disputes by peaceful means and to negotiate in good faith under the UN Charter, and to denounce war agitation particularly by the media.
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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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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A World Parliamentary Assembly functioning outside the United Nations, or a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly set up as a subsidiary body of the General Assembly pursuant to article 22 of the UN Charter, could start initially as a consultative body and gradually develop into a legislative assembly.
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas