Washington, DC – The cause of democracy lost a true friend and advocate with the passing of Representative Donald M. Payne (D-NJ) on March 6, 2012.  First elected to Congress in 1988, Payne was a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, where he most recently served as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights and as a member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. 

In this role, Payne was at the forefront of efforts to restore democracy and human rights in nations around the world.  He was a supporter of micro-financing and pushed to strengthen the Microenterprise Act, providing small business loans to people in developing nations, helping them to improve their lives and their communities.  Payne was also instrumental in winning passage of a resolution declaring genocide in Darfur, Sudan and authored the Sudan Peace Act, a measure to facilitate famine relief efforts and a comprehensive solution to the war in Sudan.

As a member of the National Endowment for Democracy’s (NED) Board of Directors from 1994-2003, Payne was a staunch advocate for strengthening democracy on the African continent.  In a statement issued on his passing, NED said of Payne, “From the successful struggle to achieve democracy in South Africa, to the protracted efforts to remove the dictators from Nigeria, to his work to heal the ravages of war in Congo, Liberia, Somalia, and Sudan, Payne played a significant role both in the Congress and at NED.  He effectively combined a thoughtful, low-key approach with an intense determination to fight injustice, and not only in Africa.  Payne traveled frequently to many parts of the world where democracy is at best a long-term prospect, sometimes even at personal risk, in each place giving democrats hope through his interest and involvement.”

In 2003, Payne was awarded NED’s Democracy Service Medal for his “tireless efforts on behalf of a democratic future in Africa and other countries throughout the world.”

Payne was a strong advocate for the rights, representation and economic well-being of the Afro-descendant population throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.  Upon his passing, the Afro-Colombian Congressional Caucus said Payne “left us an important legacy, which we must work to materialize.”

Supportive of the work of democracy organizations, Payne recently traveled to Egypt as a member of a Congressional delegation to observe the first phase of Egypt’s people’s assembly elections.  The delegation, working with IRI, played an important role in ensuring Egypt’s historic elections were transparent and open. 

Payne’s commitment and voice to the cause of democracy and human rights throughout the world will be missed.

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