Person of the Year 2007

Who's your human rights Person of the Year 2007?

Kate Allen (Director of AIUK) successfully nominated Anas el-Banna for the New Statesman version of the Person of the Year 2007 award.

Anas is a truly heroic 11 year-old boy who has just succeeded in getting the United States government to agree to release his daddy from internment in Guantanamo Bay. Jamil el-Banna, who has been imprisoned without charge or trial at Guantánamo since 2003, is on the verge of freedom after nearly five years of detention.

Anas is a deserving winner and we wish him and his whole family a happy 2008.

But who would you nominate for your Person of the Year?

I've just suggested the Buddhist monks of Burma for their courageous stand against oppression. This is one of the nominations on William Crawley's religion / current affairs BBC blog, Will & Testament.

"In a world filled with religious sectarianism and squabbling, they demonstrated true and fearless leadership, knowing fully that the retribution of the military government would be ruthless.That they have been unsuccessful for now does not diminish their courage nor detract from the fact that their cause is just, their approach is nonviolent and their eventual success is inevitable.People of the Year 2007."

So, why not support the monks too, or make your own suggestion?