Rafael Lemkin

Rafael Lemkin was a legal scholar and human rights advocate who is best known for coining the term "genocide" and advocating for international laws to prevent it. After witnessing the atrocities of the Holocaust and other mass atrocities, he tirelessly worked to raise awareness and create legal frameworks to punish those responsible. His efforts led to the adoption of the Genocide Convention by the United Nations in 1948, making genocide a punishable crime under international law. Lemkin's work fundamentally changed how the world perceives and responds to mass crimes against humanity.