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In Search of A Better World: A Human Rights Odyssey
A work of memoir, history, and a call to action, the CBC Massey Lectures by internationally renowned UN prosecutor and scholar Payam Akhavan is a powerful and essential work on the major human rights struggles of our times. Renowned UN prosecutor and human rights scholar Payam Akhavan has encountered the grim realities of contemporary genocide throughout his life and career. He argues that deceptive utopias, political cynicism, and public apathy have given rise to major human rights from the religious persecution of Iranian Bahá’ís that shaped his personal life, to the horrors of ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia, the genocide in Rwanda, and the rise of contemporary phenomena such as the Islamic State. But he also reflects on the inspiring resilience of the human spirit and the reality of our inextricable interdependence to liberate us, whether from hateful ideologies that deny the humanity of others or an empty consumerist culture that worships greed and self-indulgence. A timely, essential, and passionate work of memoir and history, In Search of a Better World is a tour de force by an internationally renowned human rights lawyer.
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2017
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572 people want to read
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August 29, 2018
While I was not a fan of the last collection of Massey Lectures that I read, the brilliant thing about this series is that every year is very different. Each year brings a new speaker, a new topic, and an entirely new way of approaching the topic and the format. (I am very excited for this year’s lectures delivered by Tanya Talaga, author of
Seven Fallen Feathers
). Last year’s lectures by Payam Akhavan work really well as a collection. His writing clear, conscientious, and moving. In Search of A Better World: A Human Rights Odyssey is extremely on point for the world we currently inhabit.
This was probably not the best book to read the week I chose to read it. I’ve been in a little bit of a slump lately, both in reading and in general. At one point while reading this book, a friend messaged me to ask how I was doing, and I had to say, “Um … not well … probably because I’m reading about the Rwandan genocide again.” (I keep reading about the Rwandan genocide, and every time I do, it destroys my heart. More on this later.) Akhavan does not mince words, and he doesn’t sugarcoat the enormity of the crimes against humanity that he recounts, both historical and present-day. This is a book about humans committing atrocities against other humans, about the toll of hatred and bigotry, about the insufficiency of political will to do good. It is provocative and heart-wrenching. And it probably won’t change a damn thing, but I have to give Akhavan kudos for trying.
The first chapter is the most personal one, as Akhavan traces the history of oppression of Bahá’ís in Iran and how his family fled to Canada to avoid persecution. From there, he discusses the establishment of the International Criminal Court as an offshoot of the Nuremberg Trials, which then leads into various genocides, particularly Rwanda’s, and the failure of UN peacekeeping efforts. Much of what Akhavan describes reminds me of what people like General Dallaire and Samantha Powers have said and written about the subject: the people who have been to these places, who have seen this happen, recognize the human suffering; yet the politicians in charge worry more about votes and political will.
And even now, in 2018, Canada continued to ship arms to Saudi Arabia for its war against Yemen.
This is what Akhavan is getting at in In Search of a Better World. His final chapter heats up and becomes the most polemical—up until this point, he stays comfortably in the pre-2001 world of the distance past, and most of his comments are fairly uncontroversial. After he describes his personal connection to the terrorist attacks of September 11, and the way this lead to a paradigm shift in the world, he advances extremely anti-imperialist criticisms of Western (and particularly US) foreign policy. He points out that countries like Afghanistan, Rwanda, Congo, etc., are fucked up precisely because of colonialism and imperialism, and that this is an ongoing phenomenon. He even mentions the ways in which the intergenerational trauma of residential schools is an inexcusable blight on Canada’s human rights record back home.
This last chapter is perhaps the most important—as much as the other chapters are variously enlightening and depressing, this is the one that reminds us that these problems exist now. Just as climate change isn’t some doomsday event that will happen in our future, human rights abuses are not these sad stories from the past. Both phenomena exist, and both are largely the result of more than just individual actors—that is to say, while we can obviously do our part as individuals to help resolve both issues, what we really need is large-scale—like, global—political will. That is very difficult. Akhavan believes it is possible, however.
I’m not sure this book is going to persuade anyone who isn’t already concerned about human rights abuses the world over. That is to say, as the Onion article goes, I’m not sure how to convince you to care about other people. But if you’re already on that same page, this book is going to give you more to think about. Akhavan asks you to really consider what a commitment to defending human rights looks like, not just personally, but at a societal level: how do we need to change the ways in which we operate, the politics of our time, to avoid tragedies happening because it was more economically or politically expedient to do nothing? These are tough questions, made all the more intense by the fact that Akhavan is definitely not an armchair philosopher in this, given his relevant and practical credentials as a human rights lawyer.
In Search of a Better World is a high-level book but it doesn’t demand a high-level understanding of history or politics. It is heartfelt and genuine, yet it is also backed with extensive knowledge, experience, and a recognition that passion alone cannot make change. This is not a “bleeding heart” book, yet it is extremely empathetic and compassionate. I leave it with the sense that Akhavan, for all he has thought and said and done so far, desperately wishes he could do and had done so much more.
This was probably not the best book to read the week I chose to read it. I’ve been in a little bit of a slump lately, both in reading and in general. At one point while reading this book, a friend messaged me to ask how I was doing, and I had to say, “Um … not well … probably because I’m reading about the Rwandan genocide again.” (I keep reading about the Rwandan genocide, and every time I do, it destroys my heart. More on this later.) Akhavan does not mince words, and he doesn’t sugarcoat the enormity of the crimes against humanity that he recounts, both historical and present-day. This is a book about humans committing atrocities against other humans, about the toll of hatred and bigotry, about the insufficiency of political will to do good. It is provocative and heart-wrenching. And it probably won’t change a damn thing, but I have to give Akhavan kudos for trying.
The first chapter is the most personal one, as Akhavan traces the history of oppression of Bahá’ís in Iran and how his family fled to Canada to avoid persecution. From there, he discusses the establishment of the International Criminal Court as an offshoot of the Nuremberg Trials, which then leads into various genocides, particularly Rwanda’s, and the failure of UN peacekeeping efforts. Much of what Akhavan describes reminds me of what people like General Dallaire and Samantha Powers have said and written about the subject: the people who have been to these places, who have seen this happen, recognize the human suffering; yet the politicians in charge worry more about votes and political will.
And even now, in 2018, Canada continued to ship arms to Saudi Arabia for its war against Yemen.
This is what Akhavan is getting at in In Search of a Better World. His final chapter heats up and becomes the most polemical—up until this point, he stays comfortably in the pre-2001 world of the distance past, and most of his comments are fairly uncontroversial. After he describes his personal connection to the terrorist attacks of September 11, and the way this lead to a paradigm shift in the world, he advances extremely anti-imperialist criticisms of Western (and particularly US) foreign policy. He points out that countries like Afghanistan, Rwanda, Congo, etc., are fucked up precisely because of colonialism and imperialism, and that this is an ongoing phenomenon. He even mentions the ways in which the intergenerational trauma of residential schools is an inexcusable blight on Canada’s human rights record back home.
This last chapter is perhaps the most important—as much as the other chapters are variously enlightening and depressing, this is the one that reminds us that these problems exist now. Just as climate change isn’t some doomsday event that will happen in our future, human rights abuses are not these sad stories from the past. Both phenomena exist, and both are largely the result of more than just individual actors—that is to say, while we can obviously do our part as individuals to help resolve both issues, what we really need is large-scale—like, global—political will. That is very difficult. Akhavan believes it is possible, however.
I’m not sure this book is going to persuade anyone who isn’t already concerned about human rights abuses the world over. That is to say, as the Onion article goes, I’m not sure how to convince you to care about other people. But if you’re already on that same page, this book is going to give you more to think about. Akhavan asks you to really consider what a commitment to defending human rights looks like, not just personally, but at a societal level: how do we need to change the ways in which we operate, the politics of our time, to avoid tragedies happening because it was more economically or politically expedient to do nothing? These are tough questions, made all the more intense by the fact that Akhavan is definitely not an armchair philosopher in this, given his relevant and practical credentials as a human rights lawyer.
In Search of a Better World is a high-level book but it doesn’t demand a high-level understanding of history or politics. It is heartfelt and genuine, yet it is also backed with extensive knowledge, experience, and a recognition that passion alone cannot make change. This is not a “bleeding heart” book, yet it is extremely empathetic and compassionate. I leave it with the sense that Akhavan, for all he has thought and said and done so far, desperately wishes he could do and had done so much more.
January 15, 2023
Deeply moving.
September 19, 2017
An excellent series of lectures. I look forward to listening to the audio versions on CBC in early November, 2017.
August 23, 2024
7/5. Amazing book with profound insights on the modern insufficiencies and dichotomies of global governance and cooperation. Recommend to everyone.
June 9, 2018
If I could quote this entire book I totally would. Entirely remarkable.
‘Cockroaches and butterflies, hatred and love, complacency and compassion; we are born with wings, yet we chose to crawl through this fleeting life.’
‘We live in a postmodern world of unprecedented prosperity and exponential technological advancement. Before is lies a vista of future possibilities scarcely imaginable by our ancestors. Yet ironically, we are slowly drowning in a rising sea of despair, gripped by an epidemic of stress, anxiety, and depression. We are electronically hyperconnected but experience only the most superficial of human connections, even with our own selves. Conditioned to expect instant gratification, we are told that fulfillment is no more than a chemical cocktail of serotonin and dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphin. Happiness is just a pill away. It has nothing to do with our life choices, This mindset reflects that spiritual crises of our tomes, with far-reaching implications on how we conceive the struggle for human betterment.’
“The Holocaust,” it has been said, “did not begin in the gas chambers. It began with words.”
We cannot harm those for whom we have empathy. The killer, torturer, must first convince himself of the righteousness of his cause in order to reconcile callousness and cruelty with a caring and compassionate self-image.
‘..the mass exodus of refugees [from Bosnia] was treated as a humanitarian crisis, a natural disaster rather than a consequence of the actions of ruthless men emboldened by the world’s indifferent. There was also the ever-present danger of compassion fatigue as the fleeting attention of audiences moved on to the next tragedy. Fortunately for the victims, they were white Europeans and not the easily forgotten masses of Africa and Asia.’
‘Hate propaganda is an integral element of extreme violence. Violent words set the stage for violent acts. Such hatred is best understood as instrumental rather than impulsive. We may feel deep-seated resentment and loathing towards others, whether because of real or imaginary wrongs. But the transformation of such impulses into an instrument of systematic violence, far from being a spontaneous crime of passion, requires careful premeditation and planning. In fact, collective demonization requires considerable skill and effort. It needs to be inspired, learned, expressed, and perfected, like a perverse art form.’
‘The ruthless exploitation of African peoples had to be reconciled with the liberal human rights ideals of the Enlightenment. Thus colonial domination came to be rationalized by substituting the biological fact of a single human species with the supremacist myth of racial hierarchy. These pseudo-scientific theories involved a considerable degree of intellectual cherry-picking.’
‘The problem is not that radical evil in inevitable. The problem is that we don’t really are about human suffering until it comes directly to your shores, or at least onto our television or computer screens.’
‘When we lecture less and listen more, we learn that there is always a story behind people;s wounds. Reconciliation, the righting of past wrongs, I thought, wasn’t about feeling sorry for the victims; it was about listening and learning from their struggle to reclaim a lost humanity, because in their cry for healing also hear the echo of a greater universe that teaches us who we really are.’
‘Cockroaches and butterflies, hatred and love, complacency and compassion; we are born with wings, yet we chose to crawl through this fleeting life.’
‘We live in a postmodern world of unprecedented prosperity and exponential technological advancement. Before is lies a vista of future possibilities scarcely imaginable by our ancestors. Yet ironically, we are slowly drowning in a rising sea of despair, gripped by an epidemic of stress, anxiety, and depression. We are electronically hyperconnected but experience only the most superficial of human connections, even with our own selves. Conditioned to expect instant gratification, we are told that fulfillment is no more than a chemical cocktail of serotonin and dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphin. Happiness is just a pill away. It has nothing to do with our life choices, This mindset reflects that spiritual crises of our tomes, with far-reaching implications on how we conceive the struggle for human betterment.’
“The Holocaust,” it has been said, “did not begin in the gas chambers. It began with words.”
We cannot harm those for whom we have empathy. The killer, torturer, must first convince himself of the righteousness of his cause in order to reconcile callousness and cruelty with a caring and compassionate self-image.
‘..the mass exodus of refugees [from Bosnia] was treated as a humanitarian crisis, a natural disaster rather than a consequence of the actions of ruthless men emboldened by the world’s indifferent. There was also the ever-present danger of compassion fatigue as the fleeting attention of audiences moved on to the next tragedy. Fortunately for the victims, they were white Europeans and not the easily forgotten masses of Africa and Asia.’
‘Hate propaganda is an integral element of extreme violence. Violent words set the stage for violent acts. Such hatred is best understood as instrumental rather than impulsive. We may feel deep-seated resentment and loathing towards others, whether because of real or imaginary wrongs. But the transformation of such impulses into an instrument of systematic violence, far from being a spontaneous crime of passion, requires careful premeditation and planning. In fact, collective demonization requires considerable skill and effort. It needs to be inspired, learned, expressed, and perfected, like a perverse art form.’
‘The ruthless exploitation of African peoples had to be reconciled with the liberal human rights ideals of the Enlightenment. Thus colonial domination came to be rationalized by substituting the biological fact of a single human species with the supremacist myth of racial hierarchy. These pseudo-scientific theories involved a considerable degree of intellectual cherry-picking.’
‘The problem is not that radical evil in inevitable. The problem is that we don’t really are about human suffering until it comes directly to your shores, or at least onto our television or computer screens.’
‘When we lecture less and listen more, we learn that there is always a story behind people;s wounds. Reconciliation, the righting of past wrongs, I thought, wasn’t about feeling sorry for the victims; it was about listening and learning from their struggle to reclaim a lost humanity, because in their cry for healing also hear the echo of a greater universe that teaches us who we really are.’
June 30, 2022
Wonderful non-fiction. Everyone should read.
February 6, 2024
“In politics, principles are sold to the highest bidder.”
payam akhavan is a man that has escaped revolutions, seen wars, experienced 9/11 from a couple of blocks away, set precedents in the international law landscape, and still, this book did not speak on these events pretentiously, or without the simplicity, groundedness and humanity that any person can feel and understand.
the three first chapters are dedicated to specific events of his life and career : his immigration from iran to canada after the 1979 revolution ; his experience being on the ground during the yugoslav wars and the bosnian genocide ; and his work with the rwandan genocide. the two next chapters are a compilation of miscellaneous moments in his life since then, that play into the question of how can we establish, and is it even possible to establish, a better world.
the author is an absolute storyteller, a master with words. and although i felt the fourth chapter gelled less than the rest, it is only because of how perfectly the rest of the book flowed.
maître akhavan is someone i hope to meet one day, maybe even work with. in the mean time, i will be recommending this book from rooftops
"To become worthy of serving humanity, we must first be broken open, so the invincible light can enter the depths of our being. Without knowledge of suffering, without kindling a raging fire in our hearts, we will never set out on that wondrous journey, in search of a better world"
payam akhavan is a man that has escaped revolutions, seen wars, experienced 9/11 from a couple of blocks away, set precedents in the international law landscape, and still, this book did not speak on these events pretentiously, or without the simplicity, groundedness and humanity that any person can feel and understand.
the three first chapters are dedicated to specific events of his life and career : his immigration from iran to canada after the 1979 revolution ; his experience being on the ground during the yugoslav wars and the bosnian genocide ; and his work with the rwandan genocide. the two next chapters are a compilation of miscellaneous moments in his life since then, that play into the question of how can we establish, and is it even possible to establish, a better world.
the author is an absolute storyteller, a master with words. and although i felt the fourth chapter gelled less than the rest, it is only because of how perfectly the rest of the book flowed.
maître akhavan is someone i hope to meet one day, maybe even work with. in the mean time, i will be recommending this book from rooftops
"To become worthy of serving humanity, we must first be broken open, so the invincible light can enter the depths of our being. Without knowledge of suffering, without kindling a raging fire in our hearts, we will never set out on that wondrous journey, in search of a better world"
November 27, 2017
Human beings are members of a whole
In creation of one essence and soul
If one member is afflicted with pain
Other members uneasy will remain
If you have no sympathy for human pain
The name of human you cannot retain.
(13th century Sufi mystic Saadi)
These words grace the lobby of the United Nations building in New York. Such noble words that speak to all of us. The words in this essay, presented as part of the CBC Massey Lectures, are equally noble. Frank, harsh, disturbing, evocative and yet inspiring words.
Here is a man whose family fled to Canada in the 1970s because their Bahá’ís faith was being persecuted in Iran. As an immigrate he tried to fit to a new life in while knowing his country was undergoing harsh changes under Ayatollah Khomeini. But it was when he heard of 16-year old Mona who was killed because she wrote an essay on freedom, in a land of tyranny, that he changed his life. He decided to become a prosecutor for the UN.
Through his involvement in Bosnia, Rwanda and later the International Criminal Court, his stories are chilling and very disturbing. The people who plan mass murder and the killers who carry out their orders, often under the guise of kill or be killed, or just plain hatred and racism make you mad. His reflections on liberalism, the rich and famous and politicians who say we need to stop genocide, but do little other than talk reveals a sad reflection of humanity. After the war trials of Nuremberg in 1948, the world said no more and look what we have had to date. It’s as if words are nothing but fluff. And look what what is happening today. Is history repeating itself?
Beyond the despair, he brings it home that we need courage to stand up. Not to let racism brew and become war crimes. Doing nothing or doing a token gesture on Facebook is not enough. Stand up for your fellow humans. We are all in this together. Have true empathy for people. Help them. Their skin colour should not be any one’s problem. The leaders today spread paranoia and fear for their own agenda. Take a stand. Our world can be a better place. All this coming from a person who has seen the worst in people.
“Cockroaches and butterflies, hatred and love, complacency and compassion; we are born with wings, yet we choose to crawl through this fleeting life.”
This truly needs to be read or heard (CBC Ideas podcast).
In creation of one essence and soul
If one member is afflicted with pain
Other members uneasy will remain
If you have no sympathy for human pain
The name of human you cannot retain.
(13th century Sufi mystic Saadi)
These words grace the lobby of the United Nations building in New York. Such noble words that speak to all of us. The words in this essay, presented as part of the CBC Massey Lectures, are equally noble. Frank, harsh, disturbing, evocative and yet inspiring words.
Here is a man whose family fled to Canada in the 1970s because their Bahá’ís faith was being persecuted in Iran. As an immigrate he tried to fit to a new life in while knowing his country was undergoing harsh changes under Ayatollah Khomeini. But it was when he heard of 16-year old Mona who was killed because she wrote an essay on freedom, in a land of tyranny, that he changed his life. He decided to become a prosecutor for the UN.
Through his involvement in Bosnia, Rwanda and later the International Criminal Court, his stories are chilling and very disturbing. The people who plan mass murder and the killers who carry out their orders, often under the guise of kill or be killed, or just plain hatred and racism make you mad. His reflections on liberalism, the rich and famous and politicians who say we need to stop genocide, but do little other than talk reveals a sad reflection of humanity. After the war trials of Nuremberg in 1948, the world said no more and look what we have had to date. It’s as if words are nothing but fluff. And look what what is happening today. Is history repeating itself?
Beyond the despair, he brings it home that we need courage to stand up. Not to let racism brew and become war crimes. Doing nothing or doing a token gesture on Facebook is not enough. Stand up for your fellow humans. We are all in this together. Have true empathy for people. Help them. Their skin colour should not be any one’s problem. The leaders today spread paranoia and fear for their own agenda. Take a stand. Our world can be a better place. All this coming from a person who has seen the worst in people.
“Cockroaches and butterflies, hatred and love, complacency and compassion; we are born with wings, yet we choose to crawl through this fleeting life.”
This truly needs to be read or heard (CBC Ideas podcast).
February 27, 2018
Reading this book was like reading a novel but knowing that it’s real. I really like the start both because it was well written and also because I could somehow relate to it. It’s always interesting for me what’s the reason that people decide on what they need to do or they want to do in their lives.
However in some part of the book I felt like it’s too much detail or somehow unrelated to the whole story. Overall I think it’s worth reading.
However in some part of the book I felt like it’s too much detail or somehow unrelated to the whole story. Overall I think it’s worth reading.
September 17, 2017
Anyone who cares about people and the future of our world should read this book.
April 1, 2021
Payam Akhavan came to Canada as a young refugee in a Baha'i family fleeing from the post-Shah Iran of the genocidal dictator, Ayatollah Khomeini. Akhavan shaped his life on the early experiences of a loving, empathetic family, displaced geograpically, but not spiritually lost. He and his family suffered grim losses of loved ones and of community, but he became a UN procecutor well-equipped in his own integrity and kindness to deal with all matter of human distress and suffering, much as he had encountered in his own youth.
This memoir-history was originally a CBC Radio Massey Lecture Series (2017).
On a personal note, in my own life a few decades ago we had close friendships with Baha'i families in Northern Saskatchewan. This book allowed me to understand some of what was happening back in the 70s and 80s with refugees from Iran that I had not fully understood or appreciated.
For anyone interested in human rights stories, particularly about refugees, I can recommend this as very interesting and inspiring. Akhavan is my kind of hero.
This memoir-history was originally a CBC Radio Massey Lecture Series (2017).
On a personal note, in my own life a few decades ago we had close friendships with Baha'i families in Northern Saskatchewan. This book allowed me to understand some of what was happening back in the 70s and 80s with refugees from Iran that I had not fully understood or appreciated.
For anyone interested in human rights stories, particularly about refugees, I can recommend this as very interesting and inspiring. Akhavan is my kind of hero.
March 19, 2018
Phenomenal book. It took me so long to read because of how heavy the subject matter was, but this is a must read book for everyone. It challenges humanity’s lack of empathy for victims of human rights abuses, and demands better from everyone.
It’s a powerful read, and one that I can’t speak highly enough about.
It’s a powerful read, and one that I can’t speak highly enough about.
October 26, 2017
I can't begin to describe this heartfelt plea for universal human rights from Payam Akhvan. Beautiful, horrific, thoughtful, inspiring, disheartening -- it is all of these things.
It should be read by everyone on the planet.
It should be read by everyone on the planet.
November 18, 2017
A book that can heartfully be called profound.
June 10, 2018
Author, persecuted as Baha'i (minority) faith in Iran, raised in Toronto, became UN lawyer and
saw circumstances in Bosnia, Middle East, Rwanda, Africa, etc, while working as prosecutor for world court
UN, saw up close, terrible dealings of people by people.
Scapegoating begins with a myth that, repeated enough times, becomes the incontestable truth. p. 175
Marx: Man makes religion, religion does not make man. p. 241
. . . shopping envy. . . p. 242
My Russian mentor, Professor Yuri Luryi, had described it best: " In Capitalism, man exploits man," he told me with his wry humor, "but in communism, it is the other way around!" p 245
The light of our soul is best mirrorer in how we help the suffering, not in how much we consume. p. 276
. . . self defeating logic of healing a wounded self by inflicting wounds on others. p. 280
. . . lusting for power was the greatest sign of weakness. Serving humanity with joy and sincerity was, I thought, the most genuine conception of power, the deepest understanding of happiness, of freedom from the prison of egotism. There was something paradoxically liberating profoundly touching about soothing the pain of those who suffer rather than indulging in self-centered feel-good activism. p. 311 !!!!!!!
saw circumstances in Bosnia, Middle East, Rwanda, Africa, etc, while working as prosecutor for world court
UN, saw up close, terrible dealings of people by people.
Scapegoating begins with a myth that, repeated enough times, becomes the incontestable truth. p. 175
Marx: Man makes religion, religion does not make man. p. 241
. . . shopping envy. . . p. 242
My Russian mentor, Professor Yuri Luryi, had described it best: " In Capitalism, man exploits man," he told me with his wry humor, "but in communism, it is the other way around!" p 245
The light of our soul is best mirrorer in how we help the suffering, not in how much we consume. p. 276
. . . self defeating logic of healing a wounded self by inflicting wounds on others. p. 280
. . . lusting for power was the greatest sign of weakness. Serving humanity with joy and sincerity was, I thought, the most genuine conception of power, the deepest understanding of happiness, of freedom from the prison of egotism. There was something paradoxically liberating profoundly touching about soothing the pain of those who suffer rather than indulging in self-centered feel-good activism. p. 311 !!!!!!!
February 27, 2018
Sobering, enlightening, and ultimately uplifting.
Well done.
2/26/18 UPDATE
after reflecting more, the short review didn’t do this book justice.
I think anyone who is interested in human rights, and overall peace needs to read this man’a perspective.
He does a wonderful job sharing the idea that we has humans, regardless of where we were born or what god we choose to worship, all share the same humanity and “pursuit of happiness”.
Here is where I think he pushes the bar (for good).
The idea that we share the same humanity is not a new concept obviously, but oftentimes, that message comes with a push to ignore the ugly in this world and focus on the good, which isn’t a bad idea...
...but ultimately does more harm than good. If anything, I feel like in order to awaken the mind we have to expose ourselves even more to the horror that exists in this world.
This book is a good place to start. He shares some terribly sad stories, but it was necessary in order for his message of hope to really hit home.
Well done.
2/26/18 UPDATE
after reflecting more, the short review didn’t do this book justice.
I think anyone who is interested in human rights, and overall peace needs to read this man’a perspective.
He does a wonderful job sharing the idea that we has humans, regardless of where we were born or what god we choose to worship, all share the same humanity and “pursuit of happiness”.
Here is where I think he pushes the bar (for good).
The idea that we share the same humanity is not a new concept obviously, but oftentimes, that message comes with a push to ignore the ugly in this world and focus on the good, which isn’t a bad idea...
...but ultimately does more harm than good. If anything, I feel like in order to awaken the mind we have to expose ourselves even more to the horror that exists in this world.
This book is a good place to start. He shares some terribly sad stories, but it was necessary in order for his message of hope to really hit home.
August 15, 2019
It was a strange experience. As if I was living the book... I already knew most charaters and most happenings were so familiar to me. If you are Iranina and/or have interest in human rights, I highly recommend you to read it. Why am I convinced so?
1. The language of the book is not hard for non-native english speakers.
2. The author did not exaggerate. He is honest with readers.
3. You will learn about the brutal aspect of history
4. It motivates you to be an active global citizen.
1. The language of the book is not hard for non-native english speakers.
2. The author did not exaggerate. He is honest with readers.
3. You will learn about the brutal aspect of history
4. It motivates you to be an active global citizen.
Read
September 30, 2020Amazing book - Mr. Akhavan is the Forrest Gump of the international human rights tribunal, present at every major case in the last 25 years and gives the most stunning insight into the operation - and importance - of this embryonic organ of global justice.
August 19, 2017
This powerful book is a must-read for anyone invested in human rights work, as it captures how interconnected all oppression is and what radical chances are needed for substantial progress!
Read
October 8, 2020In Search of A Better World: A Human Rights Odyssey by Payam Akhavan is a study of human rights violations in the last few decades. Akhavan is an international lawyer and a professor at McGill University in Montreal. He is a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. He has since played a leading role as a pioneer of international criminal law and global justice, is regarded as a leading scholar and practitioner of international law and human rights, and an important figure in the Iranian human rights movement.
Akhavan was born in Iran and fled with his immediate family to Canada in 1979. He spent his teen years on in Canada. He mentions the problems he had fitting in and common problems kids face growing up in the West. He then tells of his family and friends who were not so lucky and remained in Iran. His uncle was tortured, killed, and left out on the street. Iran moved from an open, capitalist/consumerist country to a strict religious state. Akhavan’s family was persecuted for their Bahai faith and he realized his problems were quite small. He went on and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Harvard with a dissertation titled Reducing Genocide to Law: Definition, Meaning, and the Ultimate Crime.
Akhavan starts with his involvement in the prosecuting war criminals in the Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict and the rebirth of the UN’s enforcement of human rights. Several modern genocides are given with a detailed account of the Rwandan conflict. The history of the Hutu and Tutsi grievances are covered in detail. There was also a peacekeeping mission that received little support and remained toothless. Afghanistan’s Taliban and the rise of ISIS are also covered. These conflicts received much mover coverage and involvement because of its threat to the West. The pledge of “never again” has been ignored by most of the world. Akhavan has worked to enforce human rights violations around the world and in Iran.
Akhavan waits until he establishes the horrors of modern genocide before he asks a simple question about getting rid of lice. Would anyone oppose ridding the world of lice? It seems like a simple question with an easy answer, but that seems to be the problem. The Hutu referred to the Tutsis in Rwanda as cockroaches. It is a typical tactic in many wars to dehumanize the enemy. The Germans became Huns. In Vietnam it was the gooks. Ragheads and Hadjis are our enemies in our wars the Middle East. It is difficult to convince a person to take another’s life if they are viewed as equals. Make them less than human, insects or vermin, and suddenly it is easier to kill.
In Search of A Better World, part history and part biography, show how much mankind has left to grow. For the most part, the West tends to ignore or not think genocide in a far off country is a good use of resources. While the genocide in Rwanda was being executed, the United States ignored it and concentrated on Haitian refugees landing on American shores. Human Rights only becomes an issue when it lands on your shores. A better world will only come about when we all care about stopping the killing rather than taking sides in the conflict. A well written and educational book.
Akhavan was born in Iran and fled with his immediate family to Canada in 1979. He spent his teen years on in Canada. He mentions the problems he had fitting in and common problems kids face growing up in the West. He then tells of his family and friends who were not so lucky and remained in Iran. His uncle was tortured, killed, and left out on the street. Iran moved from an open, capitalist/consumerist country to a strict religious state. Akhavan’s family was persecuted for their Bahai faith and he realized his problems were quite small. He went on and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Harvard with a dissertation titled Reducing Genocide to Law: Definition, Meaning, and the Ultimate Crime.
Akhavan starts with his involvement in the prosecuting war criminals in the Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict and the rebirth of the UN’s enforcement of human rights. Several modern genocides are given with a detailed account of the Rwandan conflict. The history of the Hutu and Tutsi grievances are covered in detail. There was also a peacekeeping mission that received little support and remained toothless. Afghanistan’s Taliban and the rise of ISIS are also covered. These conflicts received much mover coverage and involvement because of its threat to the West. The pledge of “never again” has been ignored by most of the world. Akhavan has worked to enforce human rights violations around the world and in Iran.
Akhavan waits until he establishes the horrors of modern genocide before he asks a simple question about getting rid of lice. Would anyone oppose ridding the world of lice? It seems like a simple question with an easy answer, but that seems to be the problem. The Hutu referred to the Tutsis in Rwanda as cockroaches. It is a typical tactic in many wars to dehumanize the enemy. The Germans became Huns. In Vietnam it was the gooks. Ragheads and Hadjis are our enemies in our wars the Middle East. It is difficult to convince a person to take another’s life if they are viewed as equals. Make them less than human, insects or vermin, and suddenly it is easier to kill.
In Search of A Better World, part history and part biography, show how much mankind has left to grow. For the most part, the West tends to ignore or not think genocide in a far off country is a good use of resources. While the genocide in Rwanda was being executed, the United States ignored it and concentrated on Haitian refugees landing on American shores. Human Rights only becomes an issue when it lands on your shores. A better world will only come about when we all care about stopping the killing rather than taking sides in the conflict. A well written and educational book.
August 5, 2020
I didn't elect to read this book; it was necessary to plough through it as part of research for course design I am working on. However, I'm glad I did it. It provides a convenient historical refresher and synopsis of the major milestones in twentieth-century humanitarian catastrophe and genocide. The picture on the cover is actually very ill-chosen, as this book has nothing to do with the trans-Mediterranean migration unfolding in Europe, a development, in my mind, that has little in common with genuine refugee crises of the preceding century. Akhavan provides a vivid window into just how nefarious the Islamic Revolution in Iran was - carnage that he personally fled. He also does a commendable job outlining the Balkan and Rwandan crises of the 1990s.
Akhavan devotes a lot of pages to describing the psychological 'prep work' and self-talk that genocidal murderers perform in the lead-up to actually carrying out their crimes. Convincing themselves that they are the "victims," that their enemies are inhuman, and that they have to be exterminated or punished as part of a historical imperative to redress alleged wrongdoing sounds all very much like what one hears from organizations like BLM these days. Open your mind, and you'll see the parallels.
The biggest problem with Akhavan is that he takes shots at "global capitalism" throughout the text as being somehow one of the key ingredients in creating the conditions that led to some of the moral outrages of the twentieth century - all evidence to the contrary. I agree that economic conditions exacerbate local tensions, the capitalism and the enormous wealth it generates is the solution to, not the cause of, grassroots grievances that lead to violence. He doesn't seem to connect the dots between his description of Soviet, Iranian, Serbian, and Rwandan examples of violence and the deplorable state of their command and kleptocratic economies.
Akhavan devotes a lot of pages to describing the psychological 'prep work' and self-talk that genocidal murderers perform in the lead-up to actually carrying out their crimes. Convincing themselves that they are the "victims," that their enemies are inhuman, and that they have to be exterminated or punished as part of a historical imperative to redress alleged wrongdoing sounds all very much like what one hears from organizations like BLM these days. Open your mind, and you'll see the parallels.
The biggest problem with Akhavan is that he takes shots at "global capitalism" throughout the text as being somehow one of the key ingredients in creating the conditions that led to some of the moral outrages of the twentieth century - all evidence to the contrary. I agree that economic conditions exacerbate local tensions, the capitalism and the enormous wealth it generates is the solution to, not the cause of, grassroots grievances that lead to violence. He doesn't seem to connect the dots between his description of Soviet, Iranian, Serbian, and Rwandan examples of violence and the deplorable state of their command and kleptocratic economies.
January 8, 2020
It is hard to know how to begin a review of a book such as this. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be on the front lines of the ICC, investigating the stories of man's inhumanity to man, a story all too common. And how impossible, yet honourable it is to be making an effort to find justice on behalf of the victims. The author is Iranian, and credits his passion for justice for the broken and abused peoples of the world with his start in Iran, being part of the Ba'hai community. He left the country at the age of 8, but many of his friends and family were not so fortunate. This book is full of deep insight into the world condition, full of compassion and love and grief, but the author hangs onto hope....hope for a better world.
"Suffering is not some big idea in the sky. It is a lived experienc, a profound knowledge, scattered across the many sites of sorrow that I have witnessed. Feeling injustice is th eonly means of understanding justice: stories, both enchanting and heartbreaking, are the only means of knowing why our dignity matter. This then is a story among stories, a glimpse of our shared longing to redeem irredeemable loss, a tale of how wounds open us to search in teh darkness for the dawn of a better world."
"Suffering is not some big idea in the sky. It is a lived experienc, a profound knowledge, scattered across the many sites of sorrow that I have witnessed. Feeling injustice is th eonly means of understanding justice: stories, both enchanting and heartbreaking, are the only means of knowing why our dignity matter. This then is a story among stories, a glimpse of our shared longing to redeem irredeemable loss, a tale of how wounds open us to search in teh darkness for the dawn of a better world."
December 22, 2021
I found this to be very educational to me from a historical standpoint as I don't know much about history of Iran, Rwanda, Serbia or many other places mentioned in the book.
It reads as a memoir and maybe that's why it feels more powerful and personal than reading a factual historical recount of genocides and human tragedies around the world. At times I found it very hard to read and believe how terrible are conditions of human life in some places around the world. Hard to believe how heartless and cruel can one human be to another and to many. But at the same time the author finds glimpses of hope in individual showcases of care and selfless acts of love.
This is how history should be taught in schools. This is much more powerful and might make more people learn on historical mistakes we have collectively made as humanity, in order to build a better world without such mistakes in the future...
It reads as a memoir and maybe that's why it feels more powerful and personal than reading a factual historical recount of genocides and human tragedies around the world. At times I found it very hard to read and believe how terrible are conditions of human life in some places around the world. Hard to believe how heartless and cruel can one human be to another and to many. But at the same time the author finds glimpses of hope in individual showcases of care and selfless acts of love.
This is how history should be taught in schools. This is much more powerful and might make more people learn on historical mistakes we have collectively made as humanity, in order to build a better world without such mistakes in the future...
May 9, 2019
Chilling personal account of humanity’s darkest moments including his own journey as a child from exile in Iran to Canada because of his Baha’i faith. Payam sees up close the worst of Humanity as a Human rights lawyer with the UN including Bosnian crisis, Rwanda genocide, And conflicts in the Middle East that result in the deadly ISIS group. Incredible book that leaves you with goosebumps as you empathize with the victims of these atrocities that I never really understood or realized just how horrific they were. Payam also gives hope as to how we can move forward as an entire human race rather than individualistic parties looking to move themselves further ahead while leaving everyone else behind. Another book I happened across when someone left it behind.. thank you to whoever that was! 5+ stars! Also you can listen to his lectures on CBC ideas..
February 6, 2021
I highly recommend this collection of memoires written by former UN war crimes prosecutor, Payam Akhaven. I'm proud to share a nationality with this man. His arrival into Canada and coming to terms with Canadian childhood bullying prepares the reader for his commitment to years of bringing criminals to justice on many fronts of the world stage. Part of that world stage is our Canadian backyard: residential schools--a big sister telling her little sister that they were going "bye bye" when they were spirted off to residential school together to never come back home. Then the 'Apology' and the formation of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
January 23, 2018
A very educational, half-inspiring, half-daunting book to read. I went to a talk given by Payam and he had very good insights about the state of the world and how us more fortunate ones like to 'talk' about helping but don't act upon it.
As someone who often feels like she's not doing enough, I was hoping to find a way to feel more useful. I guess I was looking for an answer to affirm my own self-worth.
This book also shows how nothing can really change if we don't convince those at the top - the politicians, and Payam does that by teaching the next generation who may be future leaders.
As someone who often feels like she's not doing enough, I was hoping to find a way to feel more useful. I guess I was looking for an answer to affirm my own self-worth.
This book also shows how nothing can really change if we don't convince those at the top - the politicians, and Payam does that by teaching the next generation who may be future leaders.
September 8, 2024
I first listened to In Search of a Better World in 2017 when the lecture series aired, and to a partial replay a few years later, but this was my first time reading the book version. The book/lecture series is, unfortunately, never not relevant. I absolutely recommend it to anyone with an interest in human rights, but I give the edge to the lecture series. Payam Akhavan's voice is just incredible.
January 15, 2018
Touché. While reading this book, I felt like I lived through the highlighted times marked by genocides in Bosnia, Rwanda and others, without grasping the magnitude, or the importance, of these tragedies. Islands of privilege amongst seas of rage and violence are not sustainable, nor are they desirable.
Did this book affect you? How so?
Did this book affect you? How so?
July 25, 2018
I quite liked this book, spoke of UN challenges facing injustices in the world and told in a powerful narrative manner. Payam Akhavan masterly combines his own experiences fighting for justice with well researched history and touching first person accounts and narratives. His call to action proposes radical changes to the UN, but he expertly demonstrates why they are needed.
July 26, 2018
This is a touching and thoughtful memoir of the UN prosecutor at two international war crime tribunals, the one for Yugoslavia and the other for Rwanda. Personal recollections and anecdotes interspersed with historical data and incisive reflections on human rights, violence and empathy, tribalism and a shared sense of humanit, make this a gripping and educational read.
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