The Last Word: Elie Wiesel; The moral dimension.(Interview)

Byline: Michael Meyer

Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, born in Romania in 1928, was 15 years old when he and his family were deported by the Nazis to Auschwitz. The experience defined his life. A philosopher, teacher and founder of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, he has dedicated his life to ensuring that the world never forgets the Holocaust--and to championing the cause of the downtrodden everywhere, from Nicaragua's Miskito Indians to the victims of famine and genocide in Africa, apartheid in South Africa and war in the former Yugoslavia and the Middle East. He is the author of more than 40 books of fiction and nonfiction, including "Night," the famous account of his death-camp years, published in 30 languages. He spoke with NEWSWEEK's Michael Meyer. Excerpts:

MEYER: You've just hosted a conference of 30 Nobel Prize winners and other world leaders in Petra, talking about threats to humanity--from Darfur to global warming. What did you hope to accomplish?

WIESEL: [To] change the world, actually. I am a teacher, a writer. My goal is to sensitize the desensitized, world leaders first among them. To be sensitive to people's pain, fears and hopes. I think that accomplishes quite a lot.

I imagine you see a great deal of insensitivity in the world at this point, particularly among its leaders.

There's a reason for that. It's called politics. It's sad, because to be in politics in ancient times was a great compliment--to work for the city, the republic, some common good. Today, if you say a person is a politician, it's an insult. The problem is the moral dimension. It's missing, in so many quarters. What to do? I don't know. Maybe elected officials should be sent to seminars for a month!

So who came to Petra?