Society of St. Yves

The Society of St. Yves – Catholic Center for Human Rights (“St. Yves”) is a Catholic human rights organization, founded in 1991 by Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah, and operating under the umbrella of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The organization was named after St. Yves of Bretagne, the patron saint of lawyers known as the “Advocate of the poor”. Ever since its establishment, St. Yves has been representing the needy, oppressed and marginalized in the Holy Land.

St. Yves is guided by the principle that every human being – irrespective of race, color, gender or religion – is equal and has fundamental, irrevocable rights, as reflected in International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law. Over twenty seven years of legal service, St. Yves boasts diversity as the composition of the staff has included men and woman, Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Muslims and Christians.

St. Yves operates on both legal and advocacy spheres; from legal representation to building community-based awareness. St. Yves runs a dense awareness raising program with the aim of empowering the local community to know how to demand its rights, as a major tool of empowerment. Through National and International Lobby and Advocacy we are able to bring the plight of the poor and marginalized to the attention of communities around the world in an effort to bring pressure for justice.