Inspirational
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The Swedes Who Saved Millions of Lives
Meet the Nils Bohlin and Gunnar Engellau, whose work at Swedish carmaker Volvo has helped save millions of lives worldwide. Engellau, Volvo’s president and an engineer himself, helped push for a more effective seatbelt, after a relative died in a traffic accident due partly to the flaws of the two-point belt design—which was not even… Continue reading
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The Saint Among Princes
Emir Abdelkader was an Algerian religious and military leader who led a tenacious struggle against the French colonial invasion in the mid-19th century. An Islamic scholar and philosopher from the mystical Sufi tradition, he unexpectedly found himself leading a military campaign, after a meeting of tribesmen elected him as leader. He built up a coalition… Continue reading
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Greek “Hero of the Aegean” Who Saved Thousands of Refugees Dies
It seems to always be the case that the most heroic individuals remain obscure even at the height of their courage, let alone later in life. Of course, that speaks even more to their heroism: they do good for its own sake, not for fame, glory, or external validation. Thus, I doubt that Captain Kyriakos Papadopoulos,… Continue reading
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The Judge Who Stood Up to the Nazis
Lothar Kreyssig was the only German judge to oppose the Nazi’s Action T4 euthanasia program, which targeted those with mental and physical disabilities and other “undesirables”. Appointed a district court judge in 1928 during the Weimar Republic, Kreyssig opposed the Nazis from the start: he resisted pressure to join the Nazi Party—citing his need to… Continue reading
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The Japanese Diplomat Who Saved Thousands of Jews
Chiune “Sempo” Sugihara was a Japanese government official who, as vice consul of Japan in Lithuania, helped over 6,000 Jews flee certain death during WWII, risking his career and his life. Hundreds of Jewish refugees arrived in Sugihara’s consulate, trying to get a visa to travel to Japan. Unsurprisingly, the Japanese Empire had very strict… Continue reading
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Nobel Peace Prize 2019 Highlights Sexual Violence and Those Who Fight It
Today’s announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize winners for 2019 made my day, not only because it is extremely well deserved, but also because it brings attention to a sadly relevant problem. As the BBC reports: The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize has gone to campaigners against rape in warfare, Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege. Ms Murad is… Continue reading
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Khassan Baiev
Some years ago, as an undergrad at FIU, I had chance meeting with one of the greatest heroes I’ve ever known, a man I hadn’t even heard of until that day. It has stayed with me to this day as an enduring reminder of the many unsung and unknown heroes around us who go about… Continue reading
About Me
Humanist | Bibliophile | Writer | Wiki Editor | World Citizen | Esquire (J.D. / LL.M.)
Sarvodaya 