Interfaith Activism
Human Rights Defenders
Members of the Interfaith Network work on behalf of religious practitioners who are persecuted for their defense of human rights. An example is the case of Rwanda's Andrč Sibomana.
The Case of Andrč Sibomana
As a priest and acting bishop in the Roman Catholic diocese of Kabgayi, Andrè Sibomana consistently fought for the rights of ordinary citizens of Rwanda to be respected, regardless of their background, gender, profession, ethnic group or place of origin.
Before, during and after the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, which claimed as many as one million lives, Andrè Sibomana denounced without fear the abuses of those in authority and narrowly escaped several abduction and assassination attempts. Threats and intimidation did not deter him but rather sharpened his sensitivities and increased his determination to protect and promote human rights.
Mr. Sibomana died in 1998 following a short illness when only 43 years old. His courage, devotion, perseverance and humanity will serve as an inspiration to defenders of human rights both in Rwanda and around the world.
| "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels."
-- Article 1 of the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms |