March 29, 2024

Burundi Quits International Criminal Court

Last week I spoke to the NYT Africa Bureau Chief, the inimitable Jina Moore, about Burundi’s departure from the ICC: “I think there is an ongoing concern about the court’s ability to work in countries in Africa,” said Rebecca Hamilton, an assistant professor of law at American University who previously worked in the International Criminal […]

Human Rights under the Trump Administration

Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has said that human rights is just one value that can be traded off in the service of an “America First” approach. President Trump has praised President el-Sisi in the face of ongoing human rights abuses in Egypt, called President Erdogan to congratulate him for seizing additional power in the […]

Is the Australian government enabling crimes against humanity in its offshore detention centers?

I just spoke with Marco Werman at Public Radio International about why I hope the International Criminal Court will take a look at Australia’s offshore detention facilities and it’s inhumane policies toward asylum seekers. Listen here and read the associated story by Carol Hills.

Declaring Genocide

It was such a pleasure to speak with one of my favorite radio shows, On The Media from WNYC, about the consequences of Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent declaration of genocide in relation to ISIS. You can listen to the segment here.

The G-Word Paradox

On March 17, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry declared that the Islamic State was responsible for genocide against groups including Yazidis, Christians, and Shiites. The statement came following pressure from Congress and after the House of Representatives issued a unanimousresolution earlier in the week drawing the same conclusion. “[The Islamic State] kills Christians because they are […]

Global Advocacy: How useful are #hashtags and “likes”?

I spoke with Amy Costello at Tiny Spark podcasts about global advocacy movements and the challenges of mobilizing the goodwill of volunteers in a way that translates into real change for the people they are advocating on behalf of. You can listen to the podcast here. And more generally I’d encourage folks to check out […]

Sudan President Flees South Africa

I spoke with Al Jazeera America about Sudanese President Omar al Bashir’s narrow escape from justice during his visit to South Africa. You can watch the interview here.

Four Years of Independence

Four years since South Sudan gained its independence, Mark Goldberg and I talk through the challenges facing the new nation, now in the midst of a devastating civil war that has displaced around 1.8M people. You can watch the interview here.

UN Dispatch podcast

Scott Guggenheim is the most influential development expert you’ve never heard of. A grad school buddy of new Afghan President, Asraf Ghani, Guggenheim has pioneered the Community Driven Development approach that puts locals in charge of their own development projects. I interviewed him in my first stint as guest host at UN Dispatch. You can […]

Malaysia Airlines Ukraine Crash

As the investigation progresses into responsibility for the shooting down of MH17, I spoke with NBC about the likelihood of eventual prosecutions. As I told them, “An ICC case is not impossible, but it is unlikely for both procedural and substantive reasons.” Read the article.