Civilization, decency is fragile. It requires each of us to be alert, diligent to keep our humanness.
That's my conclusion after thinking deeply on Romeo Dallaire's message when he came to talk to us all (on June 20, 2008?). Here's another book for me to try,
"James Orbinski's An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action in the Twenty-First Century. Orbinski, the Canadian physician who served for more than a decade with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), took his darkest journey into the abyss of human suffering during the Rwandan genocide, when hundreds of victims overwhelmed his Kigali clinic. It was there, as he desperately sought to staunch the wounds of a woman raped and then mutilated in the most unspeakable fashion, that he came closest to despair. It was this patient who, holding his arm, said "ummera - sha" -- "courage, my friend" -- and sent him on to help other patients while she awaited death. Her quiet, selfless compassion guided him through many more horrific experiences." - Salt Spring News http://www.saltspringnews.com/index.php?name=News&catid=&topic=6&allstories=1
