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13/05/07 11:30] "The message that Irena Sendler has left this world brings a deep sorrow. But also a reminder that one individual can mean so much for the rest of us.
As a young social worker in the occupied Poland she committed herself to trying to save Jewish children from the nazi extermination campaign. She joined the resistance and organised a group of women who smuggled children to safety. It is estimated that more than 2.500 Jews survived thanks to her daring efforts.
She was arrested, tortured and sentenced to death - but survived. For the rest of her long life she continued to act as a voice of conscience. When I met her she was already 97 and very frail, but her spirit was unbroken and she continued to worry about current injustices. In our talk she expressed her deep concern about the development in Iraq and the killings there. Her analysis of the present world was sharp but did not cloud her love and commitment to human rights.
She made a difference."
Thomas Hammarberg
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