“Voices” recognizes individuals committed to the defense and promotion of peace, human rights, justice and dignity in their life trajectories. There are twelve stories full of values and teachings that inspire and motivate our effort.
Ambassador to the Brazilian diplomatic mission to France during World War II, Luiz Martins de Souza Dantas granted visas in Brazil to Jews, Communists, homosexuals and other groups persecuted by the Nazis, saving about 800 people from extermination. Moved by what he later called "a feeling of Christian piety," Dantas risked his career and life by counteracting the Third Reich of Adolf Hitler and the orientation of the Brazilian immigration policy of Getúlio Vargas' Estado Novo. The diplomat issued "irregular" visas on his own to foreigners, most of them refugees, not demanding fees, bank transfers, declarations or attestations. Whoever was able to reach him was saved. In 2003, Dantas was proclaimed "Just Between the Nations," a title given by the Holocaust Museum to non-Jews who took the risk of helping refugees from Nazism. read more
Educated in a Russian family apologist of the peace, Nikolai Roerich was a painter, writer, historian, poet, spiritual teacher and intellectual leader. He created the International Peace Treaty, signed in 1935 by 21 countries, which declared the need to protect cultural activity and production in the world, whether in times of war or peace, because culture is the supreme value of one nation. The Roerich Pact also includes the Peace Flag, symbol where 3 circles corresponding to Art, Science and Religion are surrounded by a circle, representing the totality of the culture. It proposes that the flag flare in all historical monuments and educational, artistic and scientific institutions, signaling the need for protection and preservation of these and recognizing the importance of the memory of humanity for the development of future generations. The flag should also encourage each person to take responsibility for the evolution of the planet. In 1929, Roerich was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. read more
Mariane Pearl was five months pregnant when her husband, the journalist Daniel Pearl, was abducted and brutally murdered in Pakistan by Al Qaeda in 2002. After the tragedy, the French journalist turned the horror of loss into a commitment to honor two principles: Ethics and Truth. She wrote "A Mighty Heart," a memoir to celebrate the values of humanism, hope, and dignity, through the report of the investigation conducted to try to rescue Daniel. The work was translated into 15 languages and inspired the film released in 2007, starring Angelina Jolie. Driven by the idea that there is hope, Mariane wrote her second book, "In Search of Hope" a collection of women profiles from various countries who dedicate their lives to the fight against injustice. Mariane is currently the lead editor of Chime for Change, a global movement to promote education, health and justice for girls and women around the world. read more
Nelson Mandela was the main representative of the movement against the segregationist regime of apartheid, which denied blacks in South Africa political, social and economic rights. Mandela began his political career when he was a young law student. With the establishment of apartheid in 1948, he radicalized militancy and led a campaign of civil disobedience, helping to consolidate resistance to the regime through a mass movement. He was classified as a terrorist by the government and spent nearly 3 decades in jail, always refusing to compromise his political position in exchange for freedom. It has become a powerful symbol of resistance and struggle for human rights. With the end of apartheid, he was elected the first black president of South Africa, successfully conducting the peaceful and democratic reunification of the country. He was honored with about 250 awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1993. read more
