Alleviating Suffering, One Human Being at a Time

“I understood that centuries of chains and lashes will not kill the spirit of man nor the sense of truth within him.” --Ayn Rand. This is my experience in working with survivors of torture and ritual abuse. The spark of life, the determination to conquer, the conviction that to fully live is the best revenge, prevail against seemingly unbearable experiences. Last night I was inspired by the story of Mohammed, a refugee from Chad who survived imprisonment and torture for his political views, and of Dr. Miriam Potocky, whose grandparents were killed in Nazi gas chambers. I was honored to receive a Human Spirit Award for my humble contribution in providing pro-bono counseling services to survivors of torture through the Florida Center for Survivors of Torture. The FCST used the event to commemorate the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. FCST director Kristen Guscovict reminded the audience that 400,000 survivors of torture live in the United States, which Mohammed described, in his native French language, as "the best country I've evern seen." The evening culminated with a performance of "Death and the Maiden," a play by Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman which depicts the aftereffects of political torture and asks critical questions about what justice means. I leave you with Dr. Potocky's formula to help alleviate suffering and eradicate inhumanity: a) Advocate; b) Befriend a survivor, show kindness to help someone heal from the experience of man's inhumanity to man; c) Ask critical questions and don't turn a blind eye. And for that, I am responsible...