Peter Benenson Quotes

I know politics; I know the media.

I think when I started going to war zones and started covering humanitarian issues, it became a calling because I realized I had a voice, and I can give people without a voice a voice... and now it is something that sits inside of me every day.

There's nothing to be said for opposition. You can only talk about things and you can lay your plans. You can't actually achieve very much; you have to be in government for that.

I am a very lucky guy. I can testify before Congress. I can raise funds. I can raise awareness.

Those who today still feel a sense of impotence can do something: they can support Amnesty International. They can help it to stand up for freedom and justice.

You do not need to be in a position of power. You need only be in a position to influence those in power.

The people who make the most noise get the most publicity. Interest groups do count as opposed to data and rationality.

I've taken this year to concentrate fully on the promotion of 'The Lady.' This movie has been so meaningful; until we have premiered in every part of the world and encouraged as many people as possible to shine the spotlight on the Burmese people and Daw Suu, I will not have a next project.

The way I see it, any attention I get, for whatever reason, just draws more eyes to the causes that I believe in.

So many people are campaigning, fighting, and even dying to make a statement in the name of humanity. These people have no voice that can be heard by many. I wish more celebrities would take the initiative to be that voice.

Maybe my job made 0.1% of difference, but Donald Trump did 99.9% of the work, and anyone who tells you different doesn't know Donald Trump.

Where there are breaches of human rights, you need to speak out about it, no matter where it is.

It's in the hands of activists to expand the universal concept of human rights to include homosexuals. Once they persuade the people, the politicians will follow.

I always said if I had a platform to speak, I am going to speak. I feel it is just important, not only for African American-related things but world things in general.

Don't be afraid to speak out about what you're passionate about because your voice matters and your voice can, at the end of the day, make a difference.

You must be an artist and a citizen of the world. You must speak to this stuff that's happening. You must do what you can to shine a light on it, help people through it.

Nobody can know what their legacy is going to be, you know?

The big umbrella issue is, do I make a bigger difference on the outside of political process or on the inside?

There is no question Angelina makes a difference in our world by bringing awareness to so many causes. Her compassion for humanity alone always makes me honored to call her my sister.

I know I have a voice, and I want to use that voice as much as I can to bring things forward.

In my role as a spokesperson for Amnesty International U.S.A. and as a supporter of various charitable causes including Unlock Iran, a campaign to release prisoners of conscience in Iran, I have never been faced with the threat of intimidation or arrest.

My friend Harry Belafonte is an activist and musician, an extraordinary man who has dedicated his life to human rights. He taught me the power of words and that music can be used to heal and educate people.

When I was 12, I read about Iqbal Masih, a child slave who escaped the carpet factory where he'd been chained to a loom since the age of four. Iqbal led an anti-child labor crusade that made global headlines, including the one that first caught my attention.

We have a platform where a lot of people look up to us and we have a chance to reach a lot of people.

As a society, we must not allow human rights abuses to go unnoticed and undocumented; it is a vital mission to fight ignorance of these tragic events.