Death of Amnesty International founder

The founder of the worldwide human rights organisation Amnesty International passed away on the evening of February 25th, 2005.

Peter Benenson was the founded of Amnesty International in 1961. It started as a one-year campaign for the release of six prisoners. From this came a worldwide movement for human rights, and Amnesty International was formed.



"Peter Benenson’s life was a courageous testament to his visionary commitment to fight injustice around the world," said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"He brought light into the darkness of prisons, the horror of torture chambers and tragedy of death camps around the world. This was a man whose conscience shone in a cruel and terrifying world, who believed in the power of ordinary people to bring about extraordinary change and, by creating Amnesty International, he gave each of us the opportunity to make a difference."

news.amnesty.org... - The article referred to.
news.amnesty.org... - Page about Peter Benenson.

For the first two decades, Amnesty International was a wonderful
organization. The founder had done something very good for
humanity and the world was a better place for it. I remember
donating funds to it and feeling wonderful inside for doing so,
knowing that I could be helping a deserving soul in China or
where ever. Unfortunately now it is just more politics. It has
lost it's grass roots clear thinking and it's innocence. Sad.



[edit on 3/1/2005 by FlyersFan]

It is a saddening article but death comes to all of us. Hopefully his hard work and effort will be continued by his successors.