Carr Center for Human Rights Policy

09/09/2026

Twenty-five years after September 11, how should we remember that day—and reckon with what followed?

In a new commentary, Carr-Ryan Center Faculty Director Mathias Risse reflects on September 11 through a human rights lens: honoring the nearly 3,000 people who were killed, while confronting the lasting consequences of the choices made in the attacks’ aftermath.

From war and detention to torture, surveillance, and the erosion of privacy, Risse examines a quarter century of consequences—and argues for a remembrance grounded in moral consistency and the universality of human dignity.

Read “To Remember September 11 Rightly: What We Owe the Dead and the Living”
🔗 https://carr-ryan.info/Sep11Commentary

07/27/2026

🌍🎙️ A new Justice Matters series

In the first episode of Our Q***r UN, co-hosts Diego Garcia Blum and Victor Madrigal-Borloz explore how different UN mandates intersect with LGBTQI+ rights.

Kicking off with Our Q***r Planet, they sit down with UN Special Rapporteur Astrid Puentes Riaño to discuss the connections between climate, the environment, and human rights—and why these issues matter for LGBTQI+ communities around the world.

Listen now: https://justicematters.simplecast.com/episodes/our-queer-planet
Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeKniPwLFww

11/12/2025

🇻🇪Last week, the Carr-Ryan Center hosted Venezuelan activists and former political prisoners at the JFK Jr. Forum, where they shared firsthand perspectives on the state of human rights in Venezuela.

The event took place at a pivotal moment—recent headlines had highlighted major developments, from María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize recognition to ongoing reports of boat strikes in the Caribbean targeting Venezuelan citizens. Amid a deepening humanitarian crisis, Venezuela’s activists continued to advocate for a brighter future.

Read the full event recap on our website.

Image Credits: Mike DeStefano | IOP

11/10/2025

Last week, Harvard Kennedy School professor Célestin Monga joined Mathias Risse, director of the Carr–Ryan Center for Human Rights, for a Carr–Ryan Conversations event exploring what it means to live and lead in Africa while building a career across continents. The discussion focused on Monga’s recent book, Nihilism and Negritude: Ways of Living in Africa, and traced his journey from his upbringing in Cameroon to his work in global development and academia.

Read the full event recap on our website.

11/04/2025

In our recent Carr-Ryan Conversation, “Faith, Justice, and Human Rights,” moderator Terrence L. Johnson, professor of African American Religious Studies at Harvard Divinity School, joined Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, president and dean of Valley Beit Midrash, for a powerful discussion on how religious conviction can engage with political realism and pluralism in today’s fractured society.

10/29/2025

Approximately 1.7 percent of people worldwide are born with variations in s*x characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female bodies. Yet inters*x individuals often face stigma, discrimination, and erasure.

This Inters*x Awareness Day (October 26) and Inters*x Day of Solidarity (November 8), advocates and allies are working to replace misunderstanding with knowledge and silence with solidarity. By centering inters*x voices and promoting awareness, they aim to advance dignity, bodily autonomy, and human rights for all.

To mark Inters*x Awareness Week, the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program at the Carr-Ryan Center is highlighting key programming that amplifies inters*x voices and advocacy. Click the link in our bio to explore this programming.

Watch an in-depth discussion on the global fight for inters*x equality and justice.

10/27/2025

In a new discussion paper, former Technology and Human Rights Fellow Burcu Kilic argues that surveillance capitalism is more than a business model—it is a global system that turns human experience into data for profit, upheld by neoliberal ideas, weak regulation, and powerful states.

Visit our website to read the full paper.

10/22/2025

10/16/2025

The Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at Harvard Kennedy School is proud to announce the appointment of Leo Varadkar, former Prime Minister (Taoiseach) of Ireland, as Senior Fellow for the Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Program for the 2025–2026 academic year.

During his fellowship, Varadkar will lead a strategic project titled “The Future of LGBTQI+ Rights in the European Union.” The initiative will examine how the European Union can strengthen protections, uphold equal citizenship, and safeguard democratic values for LGBTQI+ people across member states.

Click the link in our bio to read the full announcement 🔗

10/15/2025

🌍 Last week to apply!

The Global LGBTQI+ Program is still accepting applications for the Spring 2026 online program: Fundamentals of LGBTQI+ Movement Building. This five-month program (January–May) features seven interactive sessions—two in January, two in May, and one each month in between.

The program equips activists with practical frameworks, strategies, and tools to strengthen their advocacy and sharpen their theory of change.

Hear directly from Timothy Patrick McCarthy, one of the program leaders ⬆️

⏳ Only a few more days left to apply!
📅 Application deadline: October 19, 2025

Click the link in our bio to apply 🔗