About the Campaign

The first partner-update (28 October 2017)

How we started; the original campaign

Sir Nigel Rodley: The Documentary

Two years ago, we interviewed Sir Nigel Rodley in Geneva for another project. It became a memorable day. After the official interview, later that day, Sir Nigel phoned us to do another interview, in which he told us his family history and his motivation to become the man he became. A new documentary was born.

During these meetings he took us on a journey. It starts before the Second World War, when his aunt, Ruth, fled Nazi Germany with the last ‘kinder-transport’. Her brother, Hans Rosenfeld, Nigel’s father, escaped Germany on his own in 1938 and later became John Rodley.

From there on began the life of a man and his fight against the abolition of torture,
protection of prisoners and above all ending impunity for all abuse.

In this documentary, through interviews with his colleagues, friends and fellow experts, we commemorate the life of the lawyer, the activist and the teacher. Since 9/11 the world has watched many human rights and e.g. the absolute prohibition of torture going down on a slippery slope. Nigel was worried about this, rightly so. With this film we want to inspire and educate new generations of lawyers, activists, teachers and civil servants. We will look for the answer on how we can conquer the many challenges the (human rights) world is facing today. So many of you were inspired by Nigel, learned from him and worked with him. Let’s make a film you all can work with, use as a tool within and outside of your organizations and honour with that, at the same time, the legacy Nigel and so many other’s constructed.