ensus. It does not help when one region accuses another of forcing its concept of human rights on the international community. In today's world, which grows ever more closely together, human rights violations have repercussions beyond and threatened with genocide, when minorities are harassed and individual human rights are treated with disdain on a massive scale. The extent to which human rights are violated is reflected in the number of people leaving their homes. Not all, but a large proportion of the around 250 million migrants today arc fleeing for man-made reasons - as refugees from war and poverty. Germany is one of the main destinations where refugees, for a multitude of reasons, seek security and a better life - and where many have also found a new home. Millions of foreigners have been living among us for years, even decades, in a spirit of good- neighborliness. In addition, hundreds of thousands of refugees from the former Yugoslavia have been received in a spontaneous gesture of hospitality. Outbreaks of xenophobia and acts of violence against foreigners were almost unknown in Germany. For this reason, the xenophobic outrages of the last two years have been all the more horrifying for me and most of my countrymen. They have conjured up shadows of the past. These events are a source of shame for our country. At first they created insecurity, but they soon galvanized the vast majority of Germans. Millions of people took to the streets. In peaceful demonstrations and seemingly-endless candlelight processions, they delivered a powerful message. It was this: Xenophobia, intolerance and contempt for humanity will never regain the upper hand in Germany! Those who attack foreigners will founder upon our determination never to allow such a development to recur. We will fight xenophobia with every constitutional means, with education, information and judicial punishment. We use the democrat's firm conviction of the dignity of all human beings, Ger- mans as well as foreigners, as