UN official Laura Dolci was feeding her baby son when she heard the devastating news that her husband Jean-Sélim Kanaan had been killed in a suicide bomb attack on the UN Headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. It was August 19, 2003: the darkest day in UN history, and the darkest day in her life.
Just days before, she recalled, "he kissed us goodbye, and I remember telling him in my joking way: 'Be sure you come back.'"
Working through tremendous trauma, Laura Dolci became a fierce advocate for terrorism victims – calling for recognition and support to those affected by what she calls a senseless crime. At the United Nations, she is now a distinguished leader in international human rights. In this episode, Laura reflects on the meaning of the term resilience, on her late husband's legacy, and on her hopes for their son.
"One of the first things I had to tell [my son] was, 'Your father was killed.' … The weight of that word in a family is big. How do you make sure that the next generation can still believe in justice, in mediation, in respect, in resolving tensions and conflicts?"