Neve is the secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, the same organization that organized the concert Monday night at the Royal George Theatre. His career as a human rights activist spans 20 years, the same number of years the Festival for Freedom has taken place in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

"That's a big coincidence," Neve told the Crier, an hour before the concert. "I'm amazed by the support the community gives towards human rights. It really hits the heart to see community involvement to raise money at Festival For Freedom for Amnesty. It's a real nice gesture."

Neve was the featured speaker at the Festival for Freedom, where he discussed the 60th anniversary of United Nation's Declaration of Human Rights and how far the issue has come in six decades.

Neve's speech reflected on how much has changed and celebrated the "sobering movement" towards the future of human rights.

"We've come so far," he said. "People recognize that there is a lot of deep injustice in the world and with wars we face a society where violence is daily. We should be doubling our efforts to continue to promote human rights and bring it to the local level, where it's also relevant."

A sell-out event, Festival For Freedom raised about $7,500 for Amnesty International, a non-profit organization with an aim at raising awareness for human rights.

In its 20 year existence, the concert raised more than $94,500 for Amnesty International.