Yesterday 16 November 2011 in Washington, DC, Paul Rusesabagina was awarded the 2011 Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice Human Rights Prize.

Lantos Human Rights Prize

In an effort to draw attention to human rights violations across the globe and to alert the media and governments to the importance of making human rights a priority on equal footing with other policy decisions, the Lantos Human Rights Prize is awarded annually to raise awareness about human rights violations and the individuals committed to fighting them throughout the world.

Paul Rusesabagina: Recipient for 2011

“We are so proud to award this year’s Lantos Prize to Paul Rusesabagina. I was raised on the idea that we are all our brothers keepers’, and Paul is the living embodiment of that idea. My father, Congressman Tom Lantos, survived the Holocaust in one of Raoul Wallenberg’s safehouses and understood all too well that the actions of one man can change the arc of one’s life story. Nearly 50 years later, Paul Rusesabagina’s heroic efforts to shelter those in harm’s way changed the life stories of more than 1,200 Rwandans. We look forward to honoring his historic humanitarian actions.” – Katrina Lantos Swett

Related:
Rwandan Hero Paul Rusesabagina Deserves The Lantos Human Rights Prize