Humanitarian Quotes

“To really change the world, we have to help people change the way they see things. Global betterment is a mental process, not one that requires huge sums of money or a high level of authority. Change has to be psychological. So if you want to see real change, stay persistent in educating humanity on how similar we all are than different. Don't only strive to be the change you want to see in the world, but also help all those around you see the world through commonalities of the heart so that they would want to change with you. This is how humanity will evolve to become better. This is how you can change the world. The language of the heart is mankind's main common language.”
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

“The thinking man must oppose all cruel customs, no matter how deeply rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo. When we have a choice, we must avoid bringing torment and injury into the life of another, even the lowliest creature; but to do so is to renounce our manhood and shoulder a guilt which nothing justifies.”
― Dr. Albert Schweitzer

“Every fish you throw back into the ocean is a triumph of the idea that human beings can be better. I do my best, every day, to throw at least one fish back into the ocean. I hope that you will join me.”
― Olivia Atwater, Half a Soul

“I was hell-bent on being an effective humanitarian in Cambodia and Somalia. But a naïve fog is finally lifting. Revealed is a train wreck of illusions, the depravity of someone else's war, the futility of a competence stillborn there. To understand this you have to become this.”
― Kenneth Cain, Emergency Sex (And Other Desperate Measures) : True Stories from a War Zone

“My contention is that good men (not bad men) consistently acting upon that position would act as cruelly and unjustly as the greatest tyrants. They might in some respects act even worse. Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment

“I wish the enemy would hesitate to shoot when they see me, but you can't expect humanitarianism on the battlefield.”
― Carlo Zen, 幼女戦記 (1) Deus lo vult

“Yesterday I was stupid, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am more stupid, so I am changing the world. And tomorrow there will be a hundred more stupid like me, for this stupidity for changing the world can never accept any excuse for inaction, even if that excuse happens to be a most rational reason.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Operation Justice: To Make A Society That Needs No Law

“Diagnosis: Patriotism
(The Sonnet)

You know what distinguishes
a reformist from a terrorist!
The capacity to destroy the world,
yet choosing not to.

The capacity to press the button,
yet choosing not to.
The capacity to pull the trigger,
yet choosing not to.

The capacity to oblige the state,
but choosing humanity instead.
The capacity to be patriotic,
yet choosing to be human instead.

War is the symptom,
patriotism is the disease.
Terrorists harbor patriotism,
Reformists harbor peace.”
― Abhijit Naskar, World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

“Question hate, not harmony.
Ban bombs, not books.
Doubt borders, not benevolence.
Chain the worms, not wombs.”
― Abhijit Naskar

“I am justice to the activists,
Common sense to the scientists,
I'm illumination to philosophers,
I am existence to existentialists.”
― Abhijit Naskar, World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

“Rise my lions, roar my lions!
Prayers are flooding in -
who'll bring reliance!”
― Abhijit Naskar, World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

“I'm a reformer, not influencer.”
― Abhijit Naskar, World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

“Be the humanest human you could be. That's all we can do - be the humanest human we could be.”
― Abhijit Naskar, World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

“Hate is animal handicap,
Love is divine prosthetic.
Amidst the herd of self-lovers,
Be the anomalous self-anihilist.”
― Abhijit Naskar, World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

“Missing God Complex
(The Sonnet)

Usually I write and release one book a month,
But World War Human took me several months.
An accident turned the world upside down for
my family - the fearless legend was briefly lost.

When I wrote, how does the bird come and go, I had
no inkling that it'd come true in a couple of months.
I felt the helplessness of my pathless dropout years,
For the first time in over a decade I felt defeatist.

Month-long grovelling to doctors left me suffering
with inferiority complex, wallowing in self-pity.
For a brief while I was actually rendered useless,
I honestly lost my link with the rest of humanity.

So I did what I hadn't done in a long time,
I reverted back to my origin of mission.
In his memory I reawakened to my promise,
I got reignited with my natural divine vision.

Finally I reclaimed my innate God complex,
the usual invincibility to outside influence.
I returned to life galvanized a thousand folds,
Tragedy does nothing but amply my omnipotence.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“If bloodline dictated destiny,
We'd still be dangling from trees.
Not that we've done much better,
But at least there is possibility.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Visvavatan: 100 Demilitarization Sonnets

“Borders are glorified apartheid,
Passports are glorified bus pass.
No peace can ever come to light,
from the doings of apartheid heart.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“Borders are glorified apartheid.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“Latinos regard me as latino,
Americans reckon I'm american,
Muslims consider me a muslim,
that's how I've lived as a human.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“Where bigots aren't used to resistance, every humanitarian is deemed a dictator. Where prejudice is the way of life, voice of reason sounds like act of terror.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“My soldiers don't need guns,
My soldiers don't need bombs.
Their backbone is power enough,
To electrify their struggle upward.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Bulletproof Backbone: Injustice Not Allowed on My Watch

“Matters not if I die today,
My legacy will guard all tomorrow.
No matter if one Naskar is perished,
Thousands will rise to be world's marrow.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“Rise, revolt and roar for reform,
then you are my soldier of dawn.
Awake, aspire, and ascend in light,
then you are my fulfilled vision.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“Show me a spark of social responsibility, I shall turn it into humanitarian wildfire.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“Humanitarian Wildfire (The Sonnet)

Naskareans can come from any field of life,
many are nerds, some athletes, others artists.
All united by a common humanitarian vision,
all standing unbent for humane advancement.

I've even left some modest material of fiction,
for the naskarean filmmakers of the future.
Then there is the fathomless dimension of sonnets,
add some music and you're a naskarean composer.

I have left behind something for everyone,
no matter your walk of life or taste of heart.
Show me a spark of social responsibility,
I shall turn it into humanitarian wildfire.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“My soldiers are my gift to cosmos,
archaic narrowness is no match for them.
I got martyred in the making of a life,
to shine as beacon for generations to come.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“I am neither stoic nor romanticist,
I am just the Himalayas on a mission.
Love me, I'll smile - hate me, I'll hug,
Ants got no worth to offend the mountain.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Divine Refugee

“Afterlight Sonnet

Forget about afterlife,
focus on afterlight,
light that is left behind,
by your deeds of life.

We need to paint the world human,
not red, blue or red, white and blue.
We need to stretch our mind unchained,
if the human is to ever come true.

Lever of life is believer of life,
Fever of love is fervor of love.
Speak truth where truth is needed,
but to those in pain give a little hug.

Never give a lecture unless you're asked,
Encyclopedias bear facts, not meaning.
Measure of truth is the good it does,
Truth without heart is bigotry supreme.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Humanitarian Dictator

“When the world cries blood,
backbone oughta spark thunder.
If you feel nothing at all,
file for a bankrupt character.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Brit Actually: Nursery Rhymes of Reparations

“When the world cries blood, backbone oughta spark thunder.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Brit Actually: Nursery Rhymes of Reparations