On 01 May 2007, Bono presented the 3rd Front Line Award to Gégé Katana a human rights defender for over 25 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo at a ceremony in Dublin’s City Hall.Photo Gallery [1]

On receiving the award, Gégé Katana said: “For me, winning the award is a recognition of my work as a human rights defender and gives me the strength and encouragement to pursue my struggle in the area of human rights. I cannot fully express my joy in receiving this award, nor my gratitude towards Front Line for supporting and helping me in my work.”

Gégé Katana is the founder and president of the Solidarity Movement of Women Human Rights Activists based in Uvira. Gégé Katana’s movements are routinely under surveillance. She was completely banned from travelling between 1996 and 2003. She has been arbitrarily arrested on several occasions and regularly receives death threats.

The annual Front Line Award honours a human rights defender, who has displayed exceptional courage in working non-violently for the rights of others as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Speaking at the ceremony, Front Line Director Mary Lawlor announced that the organization had received a commitment from Denis O'Brien to make a further personal donation of $3,000,000 to the work of Front Line.

"The support we have received from Denis has been a huge part of the successful development of Front Line," said Mary Lawlor, "he has not only provided major financial support, but as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, he has played a crucial role in the strategic development of the organization ensuring we are very much driven by practical results for human rights defenders at risk."

The nominees for this year's award came from Colombia, the Philippines, Azerbaijan and Tunisia, countries where to be a human rights defender is a high-risk occupation.