Ideas Massey Lecture Part 4 | How people power makes human rights real
Nov 20, 2025
Alex Neve, a seasoned human rights lawyer and former leader at Amnesty International Canada, captivates audiences with compelling stories of resilience and activism. He reflects on the heartbreaking beauty of communities like Jorlo, where names symbolize rights and memory. Neve highlights the power of belief in driving grassroots movements, from Anti-Apartheid to contemporary Indigenous resistance. With poignant anecdotes of art transforming personal pain into advocacy, he showcases how local actions ripple globally, igniting collective hope and solidarity.
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Remembering The Named Victims
- Alex Neve recounts visiting Jorlo in Chad where villagers named Harun Yacoub among victims of a Janjaweed attack.
- The community insisted on remembering each name to honor lives and assert that every life mattered.
Children Learning Around Bonfires
- Neve describes 200 children in Jorlo learning by firelight with sticks in sand days after massacres.
- Despite hunger and loss, they prioritized education as a path to a peaceful future.
Belief Powers Human Rights Action
- Belief in human rights builds empowerment, which sparks solidarity and action.
- That chain — belief to change-making — makes universal rights real at local levels.
