The RFK Memorial was established by Robert Kennedy’s family and friends in 1968 to carry forward his unfinished work. Each year, the Memorial presents Journalism and Book Awards, known as the “poor people’s Pulitzers,” to expose issues of social injustice. And to celebrate RFK’s birthday, November 20th, The Center for Human Rights presents the RFK Human Rights Award to a champion of justice who stands up government oppression at great personal risk. RFK Center then partners with the laureate, and provides advocacy, legal and programmatic support to help achieve their human rights goals.

Speak Truth to Power tells the stories of human rights defenders, and our outreach and education program is built around these heroes.

I’d like to acknowledge some of the people who made today possible-- RFK Human Rights Award judges John Shattuck and Sushma Raman, and Gay MacDougall, are here, Monika Kalra Varma, the amazing director of the RFK Center for Human Rights, Lynn Delaney, our fearless leader, and the entire staff of the RFK Memorial, please stand.

When Robert Kennedy visited South Africa in 1966, most Americans had never heard of apartheid. While there, he spoke about the champions of human rights. He said,”Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change the world which yields most painfully to change. “

Then, as now, champions of justice are imbued with moral courage. The cause is compelling, the enemies dangerous and powerful. But we are blessed by a handful of Davids, who, with little more than the slingshots of their hearts and nerve and sinew to support them, stand up against a world full of Goliaths. And the angels prevail.

The angels are on the side of Ren Wan Ding, imprisoned in China for advocating democracy. He was unable to accept the RFK award when we presented it to him in 1994. Ren we are so pleased to have you join us today.

And, the angels are on the side of this year’s Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award laureate, Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah of Sudan.

Dr. Mohammed Ahmed was chosen out of hundreds of nominated human rights advocates from across the globe. He has dedicated his life to helping the survivors of rape, torture, and violence in Darfur restore their lives and claim their rights. As medical treatment director at the Amel Center for the Treatment & Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture, he heals a fractured society broken by genocide. As a leader in the movement for peace, he plays an active role in finding the path to justice for the millions of displaced survivors in Darfur and refugees of the conflict around the world.

Introduction of Senator Edward Kennedy:
Dr. Ahmed’s life is devoted to stopping torture and assuring decent health care to all in need. It would be convenient to believe that such violations of basic rights would require a passport to witness and could happen only in a place like Darfur. But our next speaker, has devoted his life, like you, Dr. Ahmed, to assuring people in his country, the United States of America, are able to realize their rights to decent healthcare and that torture, is never practiced or endorsed by any department of the government of the US government including the one once run by his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Within two weeks of President Bush issuing an executive order last July which restarted the CIA secret detention and "enhanced interrogation" program, Senator Kennedy introduced S. 1943, a bill to make the military's interrogation rules (which ban waterboarding and other forms of torture and cruelty, and make clear that we should not be doing anything to prisoners in our custody that we wouldn't accept being done to our own people) binding on the CIA and all other government agencies.

In the last year alone, he has the lead in addressing the Iraqi refugee crisis. He was the lead sponsor of the Hate crimes bill, which passed the Senate last week. He Voted against the Military Commissions Act, To was a leader in the efforts to restore habeus Corpus, stop rendition, to ratify CEDAW, (the women’s rights convention); and to fully fund the Violence Against Women Act.

As the Washington head of Human Rights first put it “I really don't know where we'd be without him in the Senate these days.”

Sen. Kennedy Remarks
Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Presented with 2007 RFK Human Rights Award
Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Remarks

Thank you, Dr. Mohammed Ahmed, for your inspiring remarks. President Bashir’s scheme to forcibly remove civilians from the IDP camps and eliminate the people of Darfur, on the theory that with no witnesses left, he will eliminate the problem will only work if the rest of the world walks away.

Introduction of Mia Farrow:
Robert Kennedy spoke of the danger of futility, the belief , he said “ there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single person. “Indeed it is tempting to turn away from the slaughter in Darfur,. Consider that merely providing relief is life threatening. Under the circumstances, it would be easy to think to ourselves, its so far away, and so difficult to change, there’s nothing I can do. Mia Farrow proves that theory wrong. She is a full time actress and a single mother of 14 children. Still, she finds the energy to volunteer as UN Goodwill Ambassador, as such, she has she led 7 missions to Darfur over the past 5 years. But Mia is no tragedy tourist. She is committed, smart, strategic and possesses a boundless heart.
Please welcome Mia Farrow.

Final Remarks:
Thank you Mia, for that incisive analysis of the situation which Dr Mohammed Ahmed faces, and for your concise overview of China’s role, and that clear plan for creating change by pressuring China. Together the US government and the rest of the international community must commit a team of full time peacemakers, and helps underwrite the hybrid peacekeeping force.

I would add that the International community must also work hold the Khartoum government responsible for human rights violations and for failing to comply with the demands of the International Criminal Court.

Under a mandate from the UN Security Council, The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor issued arrest warrants in May of this year for two men accused of committing and orchestrating some of the worst crimes in Darfur. Ali Kushayb, nicknamed the “Butcher of Darfur” is a Janjaweed commander who has raped women and executed prisoners.

His partner in crime is Ahmed Haroun, a man who recruited, armed, incited, and conspired with Janjaweed militiamen to attack towns and villages in Darfur. Afterwards the government of Khartoum made him co-chair of a national committee investigating the very human rights abuses he is alleged to have orchestrated. In addition, President Bashir named him Minister of Humanitarian Affairs. With this official imprimatur, Haroun now maintains a stranglehold over what areas international aid workers have access to, what equipment workers can use , and what supplies are made available to whom. Is it any wonder then that in the 2007 calendar year alone, more than 100 aid workers were kidnapped and 66 assaulted or raped, while over 60 aid convoys were ambushed and 100 vehicles hijacked. Haroun’s dead bolt on the gates to International Aid prevents survivors from any hope of relief.

When The ICC issued arrest warrants for Haroun and Kushayb’s for crimes against humanity and war crimes, The Sudanese government responded with characteristic contempt for the rule of law.

Today we can take a stand with Dr. Mohammed Ahmed and the people of Darfur for truth and an end to impunity. But even if the peacekeepers come tomorrow and fully carry out their mandate to protect civilians, Darfur would still be experiencing a human rights crisis. This crisis will require a long-term commitment from human rights defenders like Dr. Ahmed Mohammed, the international community and indeed everyone here today to help the displaced survivors of this conflict to return and rebuild their lives, and to hold war criminals accountable. That will be the ongoing work of the Robert F Kennedy Center for Human Rights.

We have heard much today about the horrors taking place in Darfur. And there are many, many more that have not been spoken.

When I was looking at those photos Mia shared with us, especially of those poor women walking ever farther for firewood and water, I recalled that the part of Darfur where the refugees live has an extended dry season. But when the rain finally comes, it brings with it water, fresh crops, renewal. Water is represents life and hope, and in Darfur, people pray for rain, and, after the drought, they cheer and dance for joy. So today, in solidarity with the people of Darfur, I’d like us all to participate in a traditional call for rain.

I’m going to need your help.