Human Rights Award

The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award honors an individual or group of individuals who stand up to oppression at grave personal risk in the nonviolent pursuit of human rights. Since inception, the Human Rights Award has honored activists from 31 countries. We forge strategic partnerships with laureates whose work advances human rights causes all over the world. In combining resources and collaborating on strategy, our laureates amplify their transformative work to a worldwide audience.

Robert F. Kennedy pledged that “those with the courage to enter moral conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the globe.” Our team of lawyers and issue experts collaborate with partners around the world to create lasting change. Through legal advocacy, we have freed political prisoners, defended the rule of law in autocratic regimes and amplified the voices of human rights defenders in the United States and abroad.

Watch Past Ceremonies

2023 Ceremony

On June 6, 2023, the Parlamento del Pueblo Xinka (Parliament of the Xinka People) received the 40th annual RFK Human Rights Award.

2022 Ceremony

On June 7, 2022, we were proud to present the RFK Human Rights Award to Cameroonian human rights defenders Maximilienne C. Ngo Mbe and Felix Agbor Nkongho (Balla) in Washington, D.C.

2021 Ceremony

On October 27, 2021, laureate Guerline Jozef accepted the RFK Human Rights Award at a pop-up ceremony in San Diego, CA.