During World War II, a group of college students calling themselves “The White Rose” wrote leaflets against Nazism and were executed. Another person of conscience during the war, German industrialist Oskar Schindler changed the fate of 1,200 Jews, whose families now thrive, and they honor him today.
Sadly, communism survived World War II and continued to persecute and impoverish millions of people. At the same time, it moved people to adopt better ways of life in opposition. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s ability for self-criticism led him to trenchant criticism of the Soviet system in “The Gulag Archipelago.” In China, Liu Xiaobo provided intellectual and political leadership to his fellow Chinese working for human rights, and Li Hongzhi offered a traditional spirituality of hope to millions in the Falun Gong movement.
