Robert de Besange, SJ (15 March 1878 – 10 September 1946), also known as Jacquinot de Besange and in China as Rao Jia-ju, was a French Jesuit who set up a successful model of safety zones that saved over half a million Chinese people during the Second Sino-Japanese War.Jacquinot de Besange's family originates from aristocratic lineages in Lorraine, northeastern France. He arrived in China in 1913 as a missionary, and served the Portuguese congregation at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Hongkou. He also served as chaplain to the Shanghai Volunteer Corps. De Besange had lost his right arm in an explosion while conducting chemistry experiments in his youth, and was known as the "one armed priest".
De Besange acted as president of the China International Famine Relief Commission during the 1932 Battle of Shanghai, where his relief work for refugees, including negotiating a 4-hour truce between the Chinese and Japanese armies to allow the evacuation of civilians and casualties from the warzone, made him a household name in Shanghai.
The "de Besange model" began with the Shanghai Safety Zone (南市难民区, "Nanshi Refugee Zone"), or "Jacquinot de Besange Safe Zone", in 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. This was a de-militarised zone for Chinese civilians located in a part of the Old City of Shanghai that was adjacent to the Shanghai French Concession. The de-militarised zone was respected by both side of the war and the concession authorities. It was administered by an international committee composed of representatives of the US, British and French communities, and policed by the Chinese police. The zone was credited with saving the lives of thousands of Chinese residents between 1937 and 1940, when it was abolished after de Besange left Shanghai. Aside from setting up the Safety Zone, de Besange was also responsible for arranging for refugee camps to be set up in the Tu-seh-weh orphanage and Fuh Tan College to shelter refugees fleeing the war zone.Following the example of de Besange in Shanghai, the foreigners in Nanking created the Nanking Safety Zone (南京安全区), managed by the International Committee for the Nanjing Safety Zone, led by German businessman John Rabe. The same model also inspired the Hankou Safety Zone, the Zhangzhou Safety Zone and the Shenzhen Safety Zone.
His work is acknowledged in the Protocols and Commentaries to the 1949 Geneva Convention. A film of his life and work, Jacquinot: A Forgotten Hero directed by Krzysztof Zanussi, was featured in the 2009 Shanghai International Film Festival.On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the events, a memorial stone was unveiled in the Shanghai City God Temple in December 2017.
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Some of their strengths
Robert Jacquinot de Besange has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Intuitive, Confident, Generous, Smart, Bold, Energetic, and Extroverted.
Soulful and Understanding
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Robert Jacquinot de Besange is someone who is a soulful, understanding, and conscious person, who combines smarts with a deep talent for creativity and imagination. A person who is known for being a good communicator.
Passionate and Intense
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Robert Jacquinot de Besange well know them as someone who can be passionate, proud, and intense, like the sun or a blazing fire.
Organized and Achievement-oriented
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Robert Jacquinot de Besange as someone who is organized, goal-oriented, practical, and persevering.
Who is hardworking, intellectual, and easygoing, who loves higher education and learning and sharing ideas with others, and who loves healthy competition.
Wise and Deep
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Robert Jacquinot de Besange is someone who tends to have an internal innate wisdom, and who people tend to see as an "old soul".
They are also someone who is intuitive, imaginative, and an agent of change, and who is always dreaming of life's great possibilities and partnering with people to try to achieve those possibilities.
Creative and Imaginative
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Robert Jacquinot de Besange tends to be someone who is sensitive, imaginative, creative, and somewhat of a dreamer. Who is intuitive and compassionate, and who has a friendly, easygoing, calming and relaxing effect on people and for whom friends and family mean the world.
Some of Robert Jacquinot de Besange's challenges
While Robert Jacquinot de Besange has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Robert Jacquinot de Besange can be Indecisive, Unrealistic, Arrogant, Status-seeking, Suspicious, Stubborn, and Callous.
Indecisive and Unrealistic
One of Robert Jacquinot de Besange's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as indecisive and unrealistic.
Robert Jacquinot de Besange must also exercise caution as they can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.
Callous and Selfish
Robert Jacquinot de Besange is someone who can be standoffish, pessimistic, and ruthless, who can have difficulty concentrating and be impatient, can have difficulty discovering the keys to personal contentment, and who can have a tendency to overwork and hoard wealth and possessions.
Lethargic and Unrealistic
Finally, Robert Jacquinot de Besange also can be too soft, lazy and lethargic, and who can have difficulty finding others who share a similarly dreamy outlook on life.
