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Sonia Pierre, Dominican human rights defender: WOLA laments her death
America / Dominican Republic / Latin America
Saturday 10 December 2011 by WOLA
WOLA Laments the Death of Sonia Pierre, Anti-discrimination Activist
5 December 2011
Award-winning human rights activist Sonia Pierre died Sunday at 48,
after suffering a heart attack. Pierre dedicated her life to defending
the human rights of Dominicans of Haitian descent. Between 500,000 and
1,000,000 persons of Haitian descent currently live in the Dominican
Republic. Hundreds of thousands are systematically denied citizenship
rights at birth; many others are denied basic human, civil, and legal
rights, facing harsh discrimination. Pierre fought for citizenship
rights and education for ethnic Haitians in the Dominican Republic.
Born in the Dominican Republic to Haitian sugar cane workers, she founded the Movement of Dominican Women of Haitian Descent in the early 1980s and served as its director until her death. Pierre was honored for her courageous work with the Amnesty International Ginetta Sagan Fund Award in 2003; the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2007; and the U.S. International Women of Courage Award in 2010.
Pierre’s death is a tremendous loss to all Dominicans and human
rights defenders everywhere. WOLA recognizes the importance of Pierre’s
work, and we express our condolences to Pierre’s family members and
loved ones.
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