The Carr Center combines theory, policy, and practice to address the most entrenched and complex problems facing societies around the world.
(BANGKOK, August 28, 2019)—Fortify Rights CEO Matthew Smith accepted a Fellowship at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Fortify Rights announced today. The fellowship will begin this month and continue to June 2020.
“Matthew brings a breadth of experience to the Carr Center,” said Sushma Raman, Executive Director of the Carr Center. “His background as a co-founder of Fortify Rights, researcher at Human Rights Watch and EarthRights International, as an Echoing Green Global Fellow, and as a community organizer gives him the perspective to develop critical research at a time when rights are under attack in the United States and abroad.”
The Carr Center combines theory, policy, and practice to address the most entrenched and complex problems facing societies around the world. It advances the mission of the Harvard Kennedy School by developing a research, teaching, and convening agenda that addresses the most intractable public policy problems that governments and markets have not addressed or may have even exacerbated.
As a Fellow, Matthew will explore issues related to genocide, the evolution of the international human rights movement, and trauma and resiliency in human rights work. He will spend periods of time in residence at the Carr Center as well as in Southeast Asia. During the fellowship, Matthew will continue his work as CEO of Fortify Rights.
Fortify Rights is an award-winning human rights organization working on a variety of issues in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. Fortify Rights supports human rights defenders, investigates violations, and engages people with power, combining commonly separate areas of the international human rights movement.
“It’s an honor to have our CEO selected for this prestigious fellowship. This fellowship provides an opportunity for Matthew to take a closer look at issues that we’ve grappled with as an organization,” said Amy Smith Executive Director of Fortify Rights. “His engagement with the Carr Center will be sure to bring new insight and learning that will strengthen not only Fortify Rights, but our broader work with the human rights movement.”