19-04 2023 09:04
wrote:
"A real superhero"
Ben was a force of nature - of human nature at its best. I met Ben for the first time at one of our negotiation sessions on the crime of aggression at Princeton University. I had already spent a few years as a diplomat at the United Nations, a place where people mostly speak in cryptic terms and compliment their opponents before politely disagreeing with them. Ben's straight talk was a shock to the system - a good one. He knew how to communicate with impact like nobody else. Some might say that "law not war" is simplistic, but it's also simply true. "Never give up" may seem obvious, but it's not when you're about to give up. Despite the horrors he had seen throughout his life, Ben was always positive and cheerful. He treated everybody with the same measure of respect, no matter their rank, age, or other pointless criteria. He always asked me about my family, how my kids were doing, and always had some good advice on his lips.
A few years ago, when Ben received an honour in The Hague, I took my family to meet him there. I tried to explain to my boys (then 5 and 8 years old) on the way why Ben was so important, saying that he had brought some of history's worst criminals to justice. To which Nayan (5) replied: "So he is a REAL superhero". I could not have said it better.
Rest in peace, dear Ben.
19-04 2023 09:04
wrote:
"A real superhero"
Ben was a force of nature - of human nature at its best. I met Ben for the first time at one of our negotiation sessions on the crime of aggression at Princeton University. I had already spent a few years as a diplomat at the United Nations, a place where people mostly speak in cryptic terms and compliment their opponents before politely disagreeing with them. Ben's straight talk was a shock to the system - a good one. He knew how to communicate with impact like nobody else. Some might say that "law not war" is simplistic, but it's also simply true. "Never give up" may seem obvious, but it's not when you're about to give up. Despite the horrors he had seen throughout his life, Ben was always positive and cheerful. He treated everybody with the same measure of respect, no matter their rank, age, or other pointless criteria. He always asked me about my family, how my kids were doing, and always had some good advice on his lips.
A few years ago, when Ben received an honour in The Hague, I took my family to meet him there. I tried to explain to my boys (then 5 and 8 years old) on the way why Ben was so important, saying that he had brought some of history's worst criminals to justice. To which Nayan (5) replied: "So he is a REAL superhero". I could not have said it better.
Rest in peace, dear Ben.