Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-276) and index.
Contents:
Early Years -- The Flight -- The Flight, 1939-40 -- A Refugee in Lithuainia, Latvia, and Sweden -- From Sweden to the United States -- First Impressions of America: April-June 1941 -- Alerting the World to Genocide -- The Birth of the Convention -- Geneva, 1948 -- Paris, 1948 -- Climbing a Mountain Again -- Nearing the End
Summary:
"Among the greatest intellectual heroes of modern times, Raphael Lemkin lived an extraordinary life of struggle and hardship, yet altered international law and redefined the world's understanding of group rights. He invented the concept and word "genocide" and propelled the idea into international legal status. An uncommonly creative pioneer in ethical thought, he twice was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Although Lemkin died alone and in poverty, he left behind a model for a life of activism, a legacy of major contributions to international law, and--not least--an unpublished autobiography. Presented here for the first time is his own account of his life, from his boyhood on a small farm in Poland with his Jewish parents, to his perilous escape from Nazi Europe, through his arrival in the United States and rise to influence as an academic, thinker, and revered lawyer of international criminal law"-- Provided by publisher. "Life and work of Raphael Lemkin, who immigrated to the U.S. during World War II and made it his life's work to fight genocide, a term he coined, with the might of the U.N. Genocide Convention"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.