Of Universal Rights and Conflicts That Threaten Humanity

OF UNIVERSAL RIGHTS AND CONFLICTS THAT THREATEN HUMANITY
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TALES OF A PEACEKEEPER
Kenneth Cain, former U.N. peacekeeper, gave a dramatic account of his role in settling conflicts in Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda and Liberia. He joined the U.N. peacekeeping force after law school and quickly learned how good intentions can lead to unintended consequences and how complex conflict resolution can be. “I think things are often grayer than we are taught. The ‘we’ behave like we accuse ‘them,’ and the ‘thems’ have some of the ideas and values that we think they don’t.”

“I think the audience was spellbound by his personal stories, trials and tragedies — from the Cambodian jungle to Somalian prisons,” said Peter Woolley, FDU professor of political science and the session moderator.

“He’s a really dynamic speaker,” said Brenna Harris, an FDU senior. “He did a great job acknowledging his naïveté and shortcomings, and how he evolved in his position from experience.”

Cain appreciated the students’ interest and involvement in the symposium, saying, “My fantasy, actually, was to come back and speak to students, because they are the ones who are the next generation of this type of work.”
Next …

“I think things are often grayer than we are taught. The ‘we’ behave like we accuse ‘them,’ and the ‘thems’ have some of the ideas and values that we think they don’t.”
— Kenneth Cain

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