A Friend to Human Rights

This morning, we awoke to the news that the Rev. Robert Drinan had passed away.

Long known as a friend to human rights, Father Drinan was a friend to the Service Committee as well. In 1978, he was the only member of Congress to join UUSC on its first congressional fact-finding tour to El Salvador. In 1979, he joined for another tour of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, this time bringing three other members of Congress.

Those congressional delegations would become a key component of UUSC’s work to change U.S. policy toward Central America at that time, and were the forerunner of today’s JustJourneys program.

According to UUSC historian Ghanda DiFiglia, “Drinan’s firsthand knowledge of the situation in Nicaragua proved to be a decisive factor in the passage – by only five votes – of a $75 million Nicaraguan aid bill. In his speech to UUSC’s 40th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C., Drinan affirmed that the aid package would have failed had UUSC not sent him to Nicaragua. ‘That’s the absolute truth,’ he stated, ‘because I know the five and more votes I turned around.’”

Father Drinan’s vision for human rights compelled him to join UUSC for that first delegation, and for that he will always be a friend of UUSC. We invite you to share any memories you have of this extraordinary man.