The 2003 Rafto Prize Awarded To Eritrean Paulos Tesfagiorgis

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Gedab News

By Gedab News
Sep 25, 2003, 18:36 PST

Today it was announced that the Rafto Prize for Human Rights went to Eritrea. The recipient of this prestigious prize is Mr Paulos Tesfagiorgis, a long time activist for peace and democracy. The Rafto Foundation for Human Rights was established in 1986, and it was set up to honor Professor Thorolf Rafto who devoted his life to the work of human rights.

"Mr Paulos Tesfagiorgis," wrote Rafto organisers, "has worked for the empowerment of the people of Eritrea, the creation of opportunities for genuine democratic participation, and the widening of space for human rights." In his circles, Mr P. Tesfagiorgis's is well known for his views on how change should come to Eritrea. According to his friends, "Paulos has always maintained that change in Eritrea should be pursued peacefully and through popular and constructive dialogue."

Contacted by Gedab News to comment on the prize he received, Mr Paulos Tesfagiorgis said that "this is a victory for all Eritreans who struggled and continue to struggle for the rights of our people and the people through out the world."

Background

Mr. Paulos Tesfagirogis is no stranger to activism. A veteran of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), Mr. Paulos Tesfagiorgis was instrumental in generating funds for the organization through the Eritrean Relief Association (ERA.) After Eritrea's independence, Mr. Paulos Tesfagiorgis turned down offers to work for any of the government ministries and became a professor at the University of Asmara, where he taught law. In 1994, he was appointed to the commission which drafted Eritrea's constitution, where he was a part of the ten-member Executive Committee of the Constitutional Commission of Eritrea (CCE), which included 47 Eritreans. The CCE presented its work in 1997, where it saw its ratification in May of the same year.

In October 2000, Mr. Paulos Tesfagiorgis, along with the Chairman of the CCE, Dr. Bereket Habteselasse, as well as eleven other Eritrean professionals and intellectuals published what came to be known as the "G-13 Berlin Manifesto." The manifesto was highly critical of the Isaias Afwerki administration. Last year, Mr. Paulos Tesfagiorgis joined 17 Eritreans in setting up the "Citizens Initiative for the Salvation of Eritrea" (CISE.)