Human rights should remain central to American diplomacy and global leadership.
Integrating human rights into every aspect of foreign policy is crucial for national security, global stability, and the sustenance of democracy.
Human rights, once a bipartisan pillar of American foreign policy, are increasingly framed as partisan flashpoints, eroding enduring national commitments. Amid concerning efforts to dismantle development, humanitarian, and human rights programs, the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights has launched the Human Rights & U.S. Foreign Policy Fellowship. This groundbreaking initiative is designed to ensure that human rights remain central to American diplomacy and a driving force in global leadership.
To counter both internal and external pressures threatening U.S. leadership on human rights, this program convenes accomplished career human rights practitioners from the U.S. These practitioners will research, mentor, and collaborate with the next generation of public leaders, ensuring that future U.S. policymakers understand that human rights are not optional considerations, but essential to our national security, global stability, and the sustenance of democracy.
Discover how this fellowship will build a vital new pipeline for public service and strengthen rights-based leadership in global diplomacy.
2025–2026 Inaugural Senior Fellows
Desirée Cormier Smith
Former Inaugural U.S. Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice, U.S. State Department
Maggie Dougherty
Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for International Organizations, National Security Council; Former Senior Policy Advisor to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; Former foreign policy advisor in the office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
Kelly Fay Rodríguez
Former Special Representative for International Labor Affairs, U.S. State Department.
Jessica Stern
Former U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, U.S. State Department
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