Blase Bonpane, Noted Human Rights Defender // democracynow.org

10.4.19

Blase Bonpane, Noted Human Rights Defender: And human rights activist Blase Bonpane has died. For more than half a century, the former Maryknoll priest and longtime director of the Office of the Americas worked to promote human rights in Latin America. He was a Catholic priest in Guatemala during the 1960s where he was expelled for his efforts on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised. For 50 years, he hosted the show “World Focus” on Pacifica Radio’s KPFK in Los Angeles. He also authored many books, including “Civilization Is Possible” and his autobiography “Imagine No Religion.” Noam Chomsky wrote of the book, “I am often asked by young people, deeply disturbed by the state of the world, ‘What can I do to make this sad world a better place?’