Shame the extremes with facts, not name calling or exaggeration. Appeal to the “movable middle.” Document. Build coalition methodically.
That’s the playbook outlined in Kenneth Roth’s new memoirs called Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments. It’s drawn from his nearly 30-years as executive director of Human Rights Watch. He is someone I deeply admire.
The book offers an insider’s perspective on the organization’s strategies to expose and combat human rights abuses worldwide. Central themes include the use of “naming and shaming” to hold perpetrators accountable and the challenges of advocating for human rights in a complex geopolitical landscape.
Below I share notes for future reference.
My notes:
- UN Office of coordination humanitarian affairs provided coordinates of hidden hospitals to protect them, but Syria and Russia bombed them
- “The shaming is not done by name calling. The shaming is done with facts.”
- Even autocrats who publicly dismiss criticism often care about their international reputation, making factual exposure a powerful tool.
- In Syria’s Idlib province, despite President Assad’s indifference to international opinion, Roth highlights that Russia, Assad’s ally, was sensitive to its global image. Human Rights Watch (HRW) leveraged this by pressuring European governments to confront Russia diplomatically, leading to increased scrutiny of Russian actions in Syria.
- Roth discusses the challenges HRW faced when labeling Israel’s policies as apartheid. He underscores the importance of impartiality, stating that human rights organizations must apply the same standards to all countries, regardless of political alliances.
- Roth’s criticism of Israel led to the initial withdrawal of a fellowship offer from Harvard University, which was later reinstated after public outcry.
- Roth highlights the role of media in amplifying human rights issues. He advocates for using detailed reports and firsthand accounts to engage journalists and the public, thereby increasing pressure on offending governments.
- “The ability to shame governments depends on the public sense of right and wrong… and that sense of right and wrong is not fixed: It can get better or worse, and it needs reinforcing.”
- Roth expresses caution regarding military interventions, acknowledging that while they may be intended to stop human rights abuses, they can lead to prolonged conflicts and additional suffering.
- He references the NATO intervention in Libya, noting that the initial goal of protecting civilians evolved into regime change, resulting in long-term instability.
- Building Effective Coalitions: Roth emphasizes the importance of forming alliances with local activists, international NGOs, and sympathetic governments to create a unified front against human rights violations.
- In addressing China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, HRW collaborated with various stakeholders to bring global attention to the issue, leading to increased diplomatic pressure on China. (Really?)
- “The people I have to persuade are not everybody in the country… We can focus on the movable middle.”