Annual Reports
An Interview with our President, Michael Posner
April, 2008
For 30 years you have helped guide Human Rights First, how have things changed in the field?
This year we will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As we do so the human rights movement stands at a crossroads. Though collectively we have made great strides over the last six decades in building a strong legal rights framework, and in giving human rights issues much greater public prominence, there also has been a recent retreat on core human rights principles, in this country and elsewhere. This makes our work more important than ever, but also more challenging.
How would you describe the new role that HRF has taken on in recent years?
The erosion in U.S. compliance with rights-respecting principles after the 9/11 attacks has undermined the United States? proud leadership tradition on human rights and diminished its global prestige. Sadly, one consequence has been the muting of the U.S. government?s important voice on these issues. Historically, the U.S. government has been an important ally to many human rights defenders around the world, both setting an example through our constitutional system of government and using our influence abroad to increase respect for human rights by foreign governments. Part of our role now will be to help the United States get back on track as a leader in the global human rights struggle. In answering this challenge, we need to generate a much broader and deeper U.S. public engagement on these issues in ways that resonate with U.S. interests and values.
In the last several years we have spent considerable organizational time and energy countering this erosion of support for core human rights principles in this country, most centrally through our work challenging torture and official cruelty. While we have, at last, begun to make a tangible difference on those issues, the struggle to do so has underscored a fundamental gap?namely the absence of a powerful, effective, broad-based human rights social movement in the United States.
How can the human rights movement adapt to these challenges?
Whether challenging official cruelty in Iraq or forging effective U.S. policy responses to genocide in Darfur, we need to build greater mainstream, bipartisan support for human rights and the rule of law. Internally we are working to enhance our program capacity and rapid response capability, to strengthen the tools through which we engage in these efforts and advocacy.
Building on our work with retired U.S. military leaders, we are extending into other sectors of the national security community, including experienced interrogators and seasoned intelligence officials who tell us that humane treatment contributes to effective interrogation. On a parallel track we are forging stronger ties with the religious community on refugee protection and other issues of mutual concern.
How do you address the threat of terrorism?
We are constantly mindful of the very real threats people in this country and in other parts of the world face from terrorism and targeted political violence. We recognize that governments have the right, indeed the obligation to ensure security. But we also must work to prevent excessive and ineffectual governmental responses. In our view, concerns about national security and civil liberties are not at odds, they actually reinforce each other. The time has come for us to help shape a forward-looking agenda. It should draw lessons from the post-9/11 experiences, but also map out a blueprint for U.S. leadership well into the 21st century, one that is consistent with this country?s history, values and traditions. We firmly believe that Human Rights First is poised to play a strong leadership role in this effort.