As global society finds itself mired in political, economic, ethnic and even religious upheaval, "it is increasingly urgent to recognize individual abuses of human rights as warning signs and take proactive steps before they escalate into grave, large-scale violations," writes SGI President Daisaku Ikeda in a commentary contributed to The Japan Times in commemoration of Human Rights Day—the anniversary of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. People tend to avoid interaction with those who are different, and modern means of communication at times can be used to amplify and spread stereotyping and hatred, leading to hate speech and hate crimes. Passivity or indifference of witnesses to such aggression can aggravate the situation, he says.