Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.

Haile Selassie I (1892-1975) Emperor of Ethiopia (1930-1974) [b. Tafari Makonnen]

Address, UN General Assembly, Addis Ababa (4 Oct 1963)

Opening address to a special session of the General Assembly, making him the first ruler to address both the League of Nations and the United Nations.

See E. Burke.