Aminatou Haidar Wins Human Rights Award
Aminatou Haidar is the 2008 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Laureate. Ms. Haidar is being recognized for her courageous campaign for self-determination of Western Sahara from its occupation by Morocco and against forced disappearances and abuses of prisoners of conscience. Regularly referred to as the “Sahrawi Gandhi,” Ms. Haidar is one of Western Sahara’s most prominent human rights defenders.
I was happy to hear that Aminatou Haidar won the RFK Human Rights Award last month. She has been one of the few bright spots in a conflict dominated by less than inspirational leadership on all sides. Of course, don’t confuse “Saharawi Gandhi” with “Frontier Gandhi” or worse yet “Israel Gandhi“.
