2004
Emadeddin Baghi and Lovemore Madhuku
Introduction by Professor Hodding Carter III
All societies celebrate those heroes who protect the official truths, the official acts, the official myths. They are rewarded with recognition and praise in their time. But this evening, with the Civil Courage Prize, we celebrate and praise a heroism…of a different order. The winners have confronted the tiger within the gate. They have called into question the validity of their rulers' acts and pinpointed the contradictions that separate precept from behavior. Theirs is a lonely course, one that has historically led to the stake, the firing squad or the torturer's chamber.
It is also one upon which humanity depends if evil is to be checked and the rule of law advanced.