Page 10 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL11

It taught me that we have a choice.If you choose humanity then you make it easier for other people to also choose humanityand traumatized into becoming extremists, but some choose to be. We discuss all aspects of extremism, including European right-wing nationalism that is on the rise again, and state extremism. We discuss the need to belong, identity and dignity. And if society doesn’t fulfil this that’s often where some demagogic populist politicians come in with extreme views and seduce the people. You can’t just ignore extremists, and when they are growing to become 10-15% of the population we obviously cannot estrange this many people. It is important to find a way to invite them back so they don’t run off with extreme ideas.Was there a particular eye- opening experience that inspired you to become a humanist writer?I believe that if we have no hope, there is nothing to live for. When I wasworking for the UN in Mozambique there had just been a terrible war; the rebels cut off ears, noses and breasts of women, people were buried alive and there was destruction and violence everywhere. You would think these people would never get along again. Children were forced to shoot their own parents so that they could become good soldiers. What do you do with them later when they’re 15 and not like human beings in many ways? Yet the moment they stopped, there was something to believe in. The refugees started to come back to their villages even though there were still landmines. They just wanted to get on with life. There was a lot of humanity among this gruesomeness. It taught me that we have a choice. If you choose humanity then you make it easier for other people to also choose humanity. If you make a better road for yourself, it’s easier for8 Elite+