Human Rights

The freedom for individuals to live, work, and improve their lives without fear of violence, oppression, or discrimination is a right that applies to all human beings, regardless of their race, sex, gender, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, sexual orientation, or other characteristic. These rights have been enshrined in treaties and constitutions around the world that bind governments to respect and protect these liberties.

As Iran protests continue, policymakers should apply these key lessons

MENASource Mar 19, 2025

Inside Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s diplomatic offensive with Syria’s Christians and Ismailis

By Gregory Waters

HTS’s diplomatic offensive demonstrates the leadership’s political approach, which evolved over years of engaging with the Christian and Druze communities in Idlib.
Democratic Transitions Freedom and Prosperity
As Iran protests continue, policymakers should apply these key lessons

UkraineAlert Mar 6, 2025

US peace initiative can help bring Ukraine’s abducted children home

By Kristina Hook, Iuliia Hoban

Securing the return of the thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia since 2022 must play a part in the peace efforts recently initiated by US President Donald Trump, write Kristina Hook and Iuliia Hoban.
Civil Society Conflict
As Iran protests continue, policymakers should apply these key lessons

New Atlanticist Feb 28, 2025

Egyptian senator: The mass displacement of Gazans will only fuel Hamas’s extremist ideology

By Mohamed Farid

Displacing Palestinians from Gaza would perpetuate cycles of violence, deepen regional instability, and undermine Israel’s security.
Conflict Human Rights

Content

MENASource

Jan 8, 2026

As Iran protests continue, policymakers should apply these key lessons

By Abram Paley and Nate Swanson

The Iranian people are bravely leading the current protests. It is essential to keep the focus on them.

Civil Society Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

UkraineAlert

Dec 18, 2025

What’s in the new US defense bill for Ukraine?

By Doug Klain

The NDAA includes the best legislative support from Congress that Ukraine has received all year. At the same time, it also underscores the dramatic reduction in overall US support for Ukraine during 2025, writes Doug Klain.

Conflict Human Rights

Inside the Taliban's gender apartheid

Dec 10, 2025

Resistance and resilience: Lessons from South Africa for Afghanistan’s fight against gender apartheid

By Farhat Ariana Azami

Zubeida Jaffar from South Africa and Tamana Zaryab Paryani from Afghanistan in conversation with Farhat Ariana Azami.

Afghanistan Human Rights

UkraineAlert

Dec 3, 2025

Returning Ukraine’s abducted children should be central to any peace plan

By Kristina Hook

The United States should lead efforts to secure the release and return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. This could help build confidence in the peace process and boost efforts to end the war, writes Kristina Hook.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Dec 2, 2025

Ukraine peace plan must not include amnesty for Russian war crimes

By Ivan Horodyskyy

US President Donald Trump's 28-point peace plan for Ukraine includes an amnesty for war crimes that critics say will only strengthen Putin's sense of impunity and set the stage for more Russian aggression, writes Ivan Horodyskyy.

Conflict European Union

New Atlanticist

Dec 1, 2025

How Syria’s grassroots civil peace committees can help prevent intercommunal conflict

By Gregory Waters and Kayla Koontz

Syria’s local civil peace committees offer an important model for dealing with the country’s deeply rooted social divisions.

Civil Society Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Nov 27, 2025

While Trump talks peace, Putin is escalating efforts to erase Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree this week calling for an escalation in efforts to erase all traces of Ukrainian identity from the approximately 20 percent of Ukraine currently under Kremlin control, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Human Rights

UkraineAlert

Nov 25, 2025

Russian imperial impunity is the key obstacle to a lasting peace in Ukraine

By Kristina Hook

From Peter the Great to Stalin and Putin, generations of Russian tyrants have systematically directed violence at Ukrainians in ways that must be addressed in order to secure a lasting peace, writes Kristina Hook.

Conflict Disinformation
A destroyed military vehicle and bombed buildings in Khartoum.

AfricaSource

Nov 25, 2025

El Fasher is only the latest wake-up call to the genocide unfolding in Sudan

By Rama Yade

Sudan’s civil war has become one of the world’s deadliest crises—and the massacre in El Fasher exposes a genocide unfolding in plain sight. As regional powers fuel the war, millions face famine, displacement, and systematic violence.

Conflict Crisis Management

New Atlanticist

Nov 19, 2025

How we women of Afghanistan are defying Taliban repression

By Sara

Recounting her own ordeals with the Taliban, an Afghan woman shares how each new restriction pushes women and girls further into confinement.

Afghanistan Human Rights
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Experts

Fellow

Nasredeen Abdulbari

Nonresident Senior Fellow, N7 Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Africa Arabic

Staff

Aalaa Abuzaakouk

Deputy Director, Millennium Leadership Program

Millennium Leadership Program

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Akeel Abbas

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Iraq Initiative Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Human Rights

Fellow

Ibrahim Al-Assil

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Rend Al-Rahim

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Iraq Initiative Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Democratic Transitions

Fellow

Wa’el Alzayat

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Economy & Business
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