Humanitarian Work and the Power of the Word
For yesterday’s birthday my team gave me as a gift the new book in German language about “Jakob Kellenberger – Diplomat and ICRC-President“, by Hansjörg Erni. It is written in interview form and gives an insight into the life and work of this outstanding personality in the service of humanitarian work at the International Committee of the Red Cross.When I opened the book this morning just casually, a sentence jumped into my eyes, about why he had studied literature: “A study of literature also teaches to take words very serious, because you gain insight into the portentious significance of words and into the associations they awaken. You learn to be very careful when dealing with language. This was later also of benefit for me in negotiations. Many conflicts and much suffering could be avoided if people whould take more serious the language, which influences also our perception and our feelings.”
On the path of spirituality, this power of the word is something you have to learn.
