When I heard that a human rights lawyer, Dexter Dias, was coming to give a talk in our school, I was absolutely delighted, as the question of why humans hurt each other has been a prevalent issue in our conflict-phased times.
Stories of people struggling against global issues, such as the horrific brutality of genital mutilations in certain countries, were passionately spoken about by Mr Dias, an alumnus of Sevenoaks. Talking of his experiences as a barrister and judge, he told of dealing with cases involving paedophilia rings, merciless homicides, and unfortunate accidents, such as one leaving a woman with nothing but the control of her left eye.
However, most importantly, through these cases, Mr Dias showed the resilient nature of humans, as well as the hope that struggling against these atrocities brings, which he suggests is motivated by a seemingly intrinsic human desire for justice.
Stacy Stepanova
