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Human Rights Movement Loses Great Friend
(New York, January 22, 2003) The human rights movement has lost one of its greatest supporters and most generous benefactors with the passing of Irene Diamond, Human Rights Watch said today.


“Nobody had ever invested that amount of money in the human rights movement before. Her contribution transformed the cause of human rights in the United States.”

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch


 
Ms. Diamond passed away at her home in New York. She was in her early 90s.

In 1988, Ms. Diamond gave the single largest gift ever to the human rights movement. She made a $30 million pledge to Human Rights Watch at a time when the organization’s entire annual budget totaled approximately one-tenth of that figure.

“Nobody had ever invested that amount of money in the human rights movement before,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “Her contribution transformed the cause of human rights in the United States.”

Ms. Diamond had been a board member of Human Rights Watch for fifteen years. She was an active critic of U.S. involvement in the wars in Central America in the 1980’s and strongly supported Human Rights Watch’s work to expose human rights abuse by U.S. allies in the region. Subsequent contributions enabled Human Rights Watch to fortify its research and writing, and to broaden the global reach of its advocacy.

In 1995, she enabled Human Rights Watch's International Film Festival to establish the Irene Diamond Lifetime Achievement award, presented annually to a director whose life's work demonstrates an outstanding commitment to human rights and film. Recipients include Frederick Wiseman, Costa Gavras, Ousmane Sembene, Barbara Kopple, Alan J. Pakula, and Ken Loach.

“Irene Diamond was an extraordinary friend and she will be sorely missed,” said Roth. “She leaves a legacy that is unparalleled in the history of our movement.”