This is a repost from Meg Schwarz, from her LinkedIn account. It struck me as being particularly important at this moment in our lives:
The international community is watching as the pillars of international law and accountability are cracking, not just in Gaza, but across the world.
From Ukraine to Gaza and beyond, the erosion of humanity is unfolding in plain sight and it’s ordinary civilians who bear the brunt.
Hospitals destroyed. Bombing and devastation. Children buried beneath rubble. Starvation used as a weapon, killing innocent people while the world watches ….and for those who care deeply, the pain of witnessing this unfolding horror is unbearable.
When the UN Charter was written, it promised "never again”, but what happens when that charter is ignored, when those with the power to act look away, walk away from their responsibility?
As I wrote in an article recently — “What if the UN Charter fails? A world without rules is closer than we think.”…. that collapse doesn’t start with war or genocide.
It starts with silence, especially from those funded and entrusted to speak.
Where are the voices of the not-for-profits who exist to protect vulnerable communities?
Where are the voices of the multicultural organisations that champion belonging and inclusion?
Where are the voices of the DEI leaders who taught us to name injustice?
Where are the voices of the children’s advocates, the ones who once said every child mattered?
Where are the ethical brands and corporate voices who refused to stay quiet in the face of harm?
Where are the voices of the world leaders who stood on international stages and promised to defend human rights?
We’ve seen everyday people step up. Aid workers risking their lives. Volunteers delivering food by flotillas, but those with titles, resources, platforms, they’ve chosen silence….and silencing others - only serving to normalise what we are seeing.
That silence is not neutral. It’s a decision….and one history will remember, we will remember!
If you've ever spoken of reconciliation, peace, or justice, this is the test of whether you meant it.
If you've ever said children deserve protection, this is when to speak their names.
This isn’t politics. It’s humanity. It always has been.
So if you have a voice, a platform, a following, are an influencer - use it now.
Speak for all the people who no longer can.
The collapse of human rights begins not with bombs, but with silence
Further reading:
What if the UN Charter fails? A world without rules is closer than we think
https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/614414
#polycrisis #gaza #ukraine #iran