Leading Resistance on the Global Front Lines of Abuse and Repression - Ken Roth Rights Wrongs

Speaking of the best in the business, today’s guest is Kenneth Roth, a global icon of the human rights movement who perhaps more than just anybody else on this planet has shaped and influenced the defence and promotion of human rights everywhere. Ken was the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch from 1993 when the organisation had around 50 staff until he stepped down from this post thirty years later with over 500 people in the team and located in over 100 countries. Ken is a doyen of human rights work, and for over thirty years he and his team have taken meaningful action around the world to intervene on violations people and communities experienced, as well as spearheaded systemic reform at the United Nations and in many legislatures around the world.

Ken joined the show as part of his tour to Australia to speak about his remarkable book Righting Wrongs; Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments. It’s part memoir, part historical account of the human rights movement, and part change making instructional. It’s a must read for any and all people out there who are looking to engage with problems and harms and to develop strategies and tactics in response. It outlines his theory of change and the role of shame, alliance building and deep investigatory undertakings to pinpoint and surface where and how people are being harmed and what could be done to mitigate and remediate these.

Ken’s trip coincides with a moment of great societal and moral uncertainty - from the Russia Ukraine war, Israel’s ongoing campaign in the West Bank, a tumultuous US political context and raging civil war and humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Taking away the legalistic jargon and think tank pontificating, Ken outlines how he and Human Rights Watch have for decades worked to right the wrongs people experience as the result of government and organisational decisions.

This chat covers a lot of ground - from the origins and evolution of Human Rights Watch, Ken’s observations and experiences of working in and affecting change in China, the US, Israel and many other countries, war crimes and torture, business and human rights, climate change and human rights, while we finish on the lessons and suggestions for those of us who do this work without end no matter the title or level.

What’s left to say about Ken that hasn’t been said? I really hope you enjoy listening to us chat and take away as much as I did.

Support the Finding Nature Go HalfCut 2025 campaign!

Events are live and more are coming - follow on Humanitix.

Follow on LinkedIn, Substack and Instagram. 

Today's show is delivered with Altiorem. Use code FindingNature25 to get  25% off an annual subscription.

Thanks for listening. Follow Finding Nature on Instagram