Reverend Timothy Njoya (Kenya)
2000: Reverend Timothy Njoya (Kenya)
From the pulpit to the streets, Reverend Njoya has been calling for freedom from the political dictatorship in Kenya for almost two decades. This Presbyterian Minister is also a very enthusiastic supporter of women's human rights, having established the Men for Equality with Women (MEW) lobby group and working with UNIFEM to popularize equal rights for men and women in Kenya. With Reverend Njoya in the lead, the church has emerged as one of the few institutions willing to challenge Kenya's government under President Daniel Arap Moi. Reverend Njoya's fearlessness and outspokenness have led Kenyan authorities to accuse him of subversion. During pro-democracy gatherings in 1997 and in 1999, Reverend Njoya was brutally beaten by police and hospitalized. His home was also ransacked.
Archive: Past Winners
- 1997: Father Javier Giraldo (Colombia)
- 1996: Sultana Kamal (Bangladesh)
- 1995: Bishop Carlos F. X. Belo (East Timor)
- 1994: Campaign for Democracy (Nigeria) and Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
- 1993: La Plate-forme des organismes haïtiens de défense des droits humains (Haïti).
- 1992: Instituto de Defensa Legal (Peru)