Originally published on the CGS blog on May 26, 2017.
“60 MINUTES” on Sunday evenings is a very popular weekly TV news programs. The second segment of the May 7, 2017 program focused on Ben Ferencz, a prosecutor for the Nuremberg Trials after World War II. In those trials Nazi leaders were convicted for the killing of millions of Jews and others in what became known as “the Holocaust.” Fortunately you can see Leslie Stahl’s wonderful interview of Ben again and again at <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-the-last-nuremberg-prosecutor-alive-wants-the-world-to-know/>.
An important part of the interview comes near the end when Ferencz clearly makes the point that war turns generally good people into murderers. His goal during much of his 97 years has been to end war by means of the use of law. The disaster of wars exists because the world of nation-states with unlimited national sovereignty still lacks a system of law and government at the global level.
The interview very briefly mentioned the work of Ferencz to help create the International Criminal Court (ICC) which can prosecute leaders who disobey international laws against genocide and committing crimes against humanity. In addition to his crucial role in the development of the ICC and teaching international law for decades, Ben has authored many important books such as New Legal Foundations for Global Survival: Security through the Security Council (1994) and the more popular-oriented A Common Sense Guide to World Peace (1985). That book became the basis for the even more popular Planethood: The Key to Your Future (1991) co-authored by Ken Keyes, Jr.
Our thanks to Ben Ferencz for his life dedicated to “world peace through world law” and to CBS for calling attention to it.
