“Storytelling is very important. It is through context and relations that we understand the importance of human dignity. The concept means nothing as an abstraction. It's important for us to understand why people do the things they do, including the monsters - the suicide bomber and the war criminal. Understanding is not acceptance. Understanding is exploring the human psyche. If we want to put an end to violence, we need to have the sort of conversation I had with the teenage suicide bomber.” PeopleMeanImportantWarUnderstandingViolenceAcceptanceDignityImportanceRelationSuicideStorytellingExploringTeenageHuman Dignity Author:Payam Akhavan
“In many instances violence - which obviously inflicts tremendous trauma on victims - also inflicts trauma on the perpetrator. Radical evil takes a lot of preparation, not just from an organizational point of view, but from brainwashing, psychological preparation and the legitimization of violence.” EvilViolenceVictimTraumaPoint Of ViewPsychologicalRadicalPreparationBrainwashingOrganizational Author:Payam Akhavan