Founder of Amnesty Int'l Dead at 83

Peter Benenson, Founder of Amnesty International

A sad note for those who are devoted to the cause of human rights. Peter Benenson, the man who started a letter writing campaign in 1961 to free political prisoners in Portugal, has died. His campaign eventually became what we know as Amnesty International.

Thanks to Yosef Fufa for first posting this on this site as a comment.

Amnesty International's website has more information on Benenson's life and all of its work on human rights around the globe. There is a wonderful news release that discusses his life. It gave me goosebumps! He truly was a man dedicated to making the world a better place.

The website includes the following:

As he said in 1961, lighting the first Amnesty candle, "I’m reminded of the words of a 16th century man sentenced to death by burning: We have today lit such a candle as shall never be put out."

...At a ceremony to mark Amnesty International's 25th anniversary, Mr Benenson lit what has become the organisation's symbol -- a candle entwined in barbed wire -- with the words:

"The candle burns not for us, but for all those whom we failed to rescue from prison, who were shot on the way to prison, who were tortured, who were kidnapped, who ‘disappeared’. That is what the candle is for."

Thanks to all of you who have been a part of his legacy through your work on behalf of human rights.