I was working in Russia from 1998-2002... You also had this extraordinary episode where Putin is on record being asked a question, 'President Putin, do you think Russia could ever join NATO?' to which he replied, 'Why not?!' – what he actually said was 'why not…' provided that Russia could be a fully-fledged partner in NATO.
— Simon Smith“We assumed matter was fundamental when we probably should have prioritised consciousness. If we viewed consciousness as the prima materia of reality itself, I think we'd know a lot more about these intelligences and hidden agents than we do today, had we not gone down that strict materialist path all those years ago.”— Andrew Gallimore
The quote archive
Peace
A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.
There is no such thing as one-sided victory in diplomacy, perhaps in war there is, but not in diplomacy. You are always, or at least should always be, mindful of the other side.
— Lord Simon McDonaldWe're afraid of living under constant terrorism, and the constant threat of a neighbour who wants to kill you and destroy everything you care about. The escalation is already here.
— Kira RudikUkrainian politician and head of Servant of the People party faction
However brave you are, you can't protect yourself against a huge pile of metal coming from the sky to kill you and everything you love.
— Kira RudikUkrainian politician and head of Servant of the People party faction
The more we trust the 'gold' within ourselves, the more we are able to see it in others. Due to our negativity bias, it's easy to focus on the flaws or defenses in others. However, the more we train ourselves to see the goodness in others, the more we can recognize it.
— Tara BrachMeditation Teacher & Author of "Radical Acceptance
Response to, and resolution of what lay behind the merciless attack, should theoretically still be for peaceful resolution in accordance with the UN Charter.
— Sir Geoffrey Nice KCProsecutor of Slobodan Milošević at the International Criminal Tribunal
From my perspective, however, justice alone is insufficient for reconciliation. True reconciliation must originate within a society, involving both victims and perpetrators. Yet, accountability is an essential starting point, laying the groundwork for reconciliation efforts.
— Dr. Serge BrammertzChief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda
Historically, conflicts typically ended with the major players negotiating peace agreements, often including amnesties. The more brutal and involved in crimes a party was, the more significant their role at the negotiation table. This approach changed after the Second World War with the Nuremberg trials.
— Dr. Serge BrammertzChief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda
I firmly believe that a society cannot heal from the wounds of war without accountability for serious international crimes. How can a society move towards a shared future while fundamental disagreements about the past and about responsibility for past crimes persist?
— Dr. Serge BrammertzChief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda