Co-Founder Robert Duval is a Haitian human rights activist who has shined that light very brightly.
Co-Founder Robert Duval is a Haitian human rights activist who has shined that light very brightly. In 1975, he was imprisoned without charge at Fort Dimanche—a notorious prison, where hundreds of opponents of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier were forcibly disappeared. Starved and tortured for 17 months, Duval was on the brink of death when Amnesty International and President Jimmy Carter secured his release in 1977. Since then, Duval has been a tireless advocate for accountability. In 2011, Duval led a group of victims to file charges in a Haitian national court against Jean-Claude Duvalier for crimes against humanity. He is now a lead witness in the case.
Duval has founded several human rights NGOs in Haiti, and addressed the United Nations and the US Congress. His group, the League of Political Prisoners, freed 1500 prisoners detained without due process. And as founder and editor of the news agency, Haiti Info, Duval has worked to expose rights violations. Since 1995, Duval has helped more than 10,000 at-risk youths in Haiti, providing sport programs, schooling, and meals through the non-profit, Fondation L’Athletique D’Haiti, FLADH. In 2007, Duval was named a CNN hero for his work with youth in Cite Soleil. In 2013, Duval received the Champion of Justice Award from the Center for Justice and Accountability, an international organization of lawyers based in the US. Duval’s passion remains advocating for the young boys and girls in Haiti. The Phoenix Stadium is a dream coming to reality for Duval as it will create jobs, cultural and social opportunities for these youth in Cite Soleil and in Haiti.