The Carr Center for Human Rights Policy serves as the hub of the Harvard Kennedy School’s research, teaching, and training in the human rights domain. The center embraces a dual mission: to educate students and the next generation of leaders from around the world in human rights policy and practice; and to convene and provide policy-relevant knowledge to international organizations, governments, policymakers, and businesses.

 

News and Announcements

Yanilda Maria Gonzalez Making a Movement

Making a Movement: Yanilda María González on Police Violence Against Racialized Communities

March 18, 2024

In her essay for the Carr Center's latest publication, Making a Movement: The History and Future of Human Rights, Yanilda María González discusses one of the most pervasive racial justice challenges: continued police violence against racialized and impoverished communities. 

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Latest Publications

Genocide’s Straw Man

Citation:

Matthew Smith. 2/2020. “Genocide’s Straw Man.” Mekong Review. See full text.
Genocide’s Straw Man

Abstract:

Matthew Smith challenges a claim that human rights organizations are to blame for the Rohyinga Crisis.

Smith is co-founder and CEO of Fortify Rights and a Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. His recent article for the Mekong Review challenges Benjamin Zawacki's claim that human rights organizations are responsible for the Rohyinga Crisis.

The Rohingya genocide in Myanmar has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than a million civilians, shocking the conscience of humanity and making the Rohingya a household name. A variety of individuals and institutions are responsible for the egregious situation, including the Myanmar military and police, civilian political elite, and extremist civilians, but in “Humanitarian Breakdown” (in the February 2020 issue), Benjamin Zawacki lays blame in a most unusual place: at the feet of the international human rights movement.

Read the full article. 

: Matthew Smith | Feb 2020
: Matthew Smith challenges a claim that human rights organizations are to blame for the Rohyinga Crisis.
Last updated on 02/25/2020

College Students Don’t Turn out to Vote. Here’s How to Change That

College Students Don’t Turn out to Vote. Here’s How to Change That

Abstract:

Kathryn Sikkink maps out a plan to encourage voter turnout among college students. 

College students have traditionally voted at one of the lowest rates of any group in the United States. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In the 2018 midterm election, the voting rate at U.S. colleges and universities more than doubled from the previous midterm, jumping from 19% in 2014 to 40%. That increase was 7 percentage points higher than the increase in voting rates among all Americans.

: Kathryn Sikkink | Jan 30 2020
: Kathryn Sikkink maps out a plan to encourage voter turnout among college students. 
Last updated on 02/25/2020

Can Facebook’s Oversight Board Win People’s Trust?

Can Facebook’s Oversight Board Win People’s Trust?

Abstract:

Technology & Human Rights Fellow, Mark Latonero, breaks down the larger implications of Facebook's global Oversight Board for content moderation. 

Facebook is a step away from creating its global Oversight Board for content moderation. The bylaws for the board, released on Jan. 28, lay out the blueprint for an unprecedented experiment in corporate self-governance for the tech sector. While there’s good reason to be skeptical of whether Facebook itself can fix problems like hate speech and disinformation on the platform, we should pay closer attention to how the board proposes to make decisions.

: Mark Latonero | Jan 29 2020
: Technology & Human Rights Fellow, Mark Latonero, breaks down the larger implications of Facebook's global Oversight Board for content moderation. 
Last updated on 02/25/2020
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Upcoming Events

2024 Apr 01

Engaging with the Conflict in Israel and Palestine: A Conversation with Tarek Masoud and Derek Penslar

4:00pm to 5:00pm

Location: 

Allison Dining Room

Event DescriptionDuring this conversation, Derek Penslar and Tarek Masoud will discuss their experiences as commentators on the violence in Gaza. As both members and critics of their respective communities, both speakers will examine how their unique positions have affected them during the current moment.

Speakers

Derek Penslar is the William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History. He is the director of undergraduate studies within the department and...

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2024 Apr 03

Israel and Gaza and its Repercussions on American Campuses: A Conversation with Rabbi David Wolpe

5:00pm to 6:00pm

Location: 

David Ellwood Democracy Lab R-414-AB

Event DescriptionThe violence in Israel and Gaza has heightened tensions worldwide – including on college campuses across America. With both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine students facing threats and several instances of both antisemitic and anti-Arab rhetoric, this period has sparked debate as to how institutions of higher education can ensure that college campuses remain places of safety. Rabbi David Wolpe will delve into these issues when he joins to discuss the current situation in Israel and Gaza and how the conflict has permeated...

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“The Carr Center is building a bridge between ideas on human rights and the practice on the ground. Right now we are at a critical juncture. The pace of technological change and the rise of authoritarian governments are both examples of serious challenges to the flourishing of individual rights. It’s crucial that Harvard and the Kennedy School continue to be a major influence in keeping human rights ideals alive. The Carr Center is a focal point for this important task.”

 

- Mathias Risse