Longtime religious freedom campaigner Dr. Gianfranco Rossi has received an award for “outstanding achievements” in the field of international human rights. United Nation’s special rapporteur Professor Abdelfattah Amor presented the Albert Schweitzer award to Rossi last week at a ceremony held during the world congress of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) in Budapest. The honor marked another highlight in what Amor called “Dr. Rossi’s long and distinguished service dedicated to the cause of religious liberty.”

Rossi, a Seventh-day Adventist leader for many years, stressed in his acceptance speech three “leading principles which have guided me in my activities for religious freedom.”

He spoke bluntly about the principle of equality, saying that “no individuals or groups can claim the right to establish or to maintain a political regime which does not respect the rights and freedoms of all human beings.”

Rossi also argued for the principle of “difference,” saying that today’s pluralistic society has to respect not only the similarities, but also the differences between human beings. “Differences between human beings must not simply be tolerated,” he said. “They must be admitted, encouraged, cultivated with a full awareness of the inestimable riches which they bring.”

Rossi concluded with an appeal to all religions “to purify themselves of every form of intolerance and extremism,” noting that “it is impossible to build a pluralistic society without respect and cooperation.”

The Albert Schweitzer award is a special tribute given by the IARF, a non-governmental organization working with groups from different beliefs and communities suffering from religious persecution or discrimination. The IARF (www.iarf.net) promotes freedom from oppressive interference or discrimination by the state, government or society’s institutions.