Righting Wrongs - by Kenneth Roth (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the long-time head of Human Rights Watch, the fascinating and inspiring story of taking on the biggest villains and toughest autocrats around the world

In three decades under the leadership of Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch grew to a staff of more than 500, conducting investigations in 100 countries to uncover abuses--and pressuring offending governments to stop them. Roth has grappled with the worst of humanity, taken on the biggest villains of our time, and persuaded leaders from around the globe to stand up to their repressive counterparts.

The son of a Jew who fled Nazi Germany just before the war began, Roth grew up knowing full well how inhumane governments could be. He has traveled the world to meet cruelty and injustice on its home turf: he arrived in Rwanda shortly after the Genocide; scrutinized the impact of Saddam's invasion of Kuwait; investigated and condemned Israel's mistreatment of Palestinians. He directed efforts to curtail the Chinese government's persecution of Uyghur Muslims, to bring Myanmar's officials to justice after the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, to halt Russian war crimes in Ukraine, even to reign in the U.S. government. Roth's many innovations and strategies included the deployment of a concept as old as mankind--the powerful tool of "shaming"--and here he illustrates its surprising effectiveness against evildoers.

This is a story of wins, losses, and ongoing battles in the ceaseless fight to rend the moral arc from the hands of injustice and bend it toward good.

Review Quotes

"In Righting Wrongs [Roth] distils his hard-earned insights. . . . The world needs more watchdogs like Mr Roth: principled yet worldly, insanely hard-working and resolutely non-tribal. . . . [Roth] tells human stories . . . that shock the listener into fury. It is stories, more than theories, that help humans comprehend tyranny." --The Economist

"Righting Wrongs is more than a memoir; it is both a history of modern human rights battles and a practical guide to advocacy. Roth writes with the same precision that defined his leadership: unsparing but not cynical, deeply informed yet accessible. For anyone working in the field--or for those simply trying to understand how power can be challenged--this is required reading." --Janine di Giovanni, Middle East Eye

"In his important book published earlier this year, Righting Wrongs, Kenneth Roth, the long-time director of Human Rights Watch, persuasively argues that exposing atrocities and advocating for justice is not merely a moral imperative but a crucial, oftentimes the only, means of holding power accountable on the global stage." --Joelle M. Abi-Rached, Boston Review

"This book represents a lifetime devoted to the fight for essential rights--a testament to the thoughts and experiences of a truly courageous individual. A wise, deeply insightful analysis that also serves as a practical guide for action, this book is vibrant, passionate, and alive with purpose."--Ai Weiwei, artist, documentarian, and activist

"A remarkable book that will restore your faith in human beings. Brimming with wisdom, passion, resilience, and courage, Righting Wrongs gives us a powerful antidote to autocracy, an antidote to apathy. One of the most important books of the year, if not of the next decade." --Elif Shafak, author of There Are Rivers in the Sky

"There is no one better equipped than Ken Roth to explain the creative forms of political pressure that can be generated to force governments to better respect rights. This inside account will inspire and open doors for other courageous visionaries to make change."--Anthony Romero, executive director, American Civil Liberties Union

"A penetrating, inspiring, and challenging account of what it takes to fight to uphold human rights in an increasingly fractured and dangerous world. Roth does not shy away from detailing the gritty, tough tactics and hard work needed to fight for change, and also shows why it is essential to take a neutral and consistent approach to upholding human rights, not just in the Global South but the West as well."--Gillian Tett, columnist and editorial board member, Financial Times, and provost, Kings College, Cambridge

"A master class on human rights advocacy from America's most distinguished human rights leader."--Michael Ignatieff, professor, Central European University, Vienna

"Memoir, history and horror, a personal journey captivatingly woven around a world, its challenges and hopes." --Philippe Sands, author of East West Street and professor, University College London

"In an expansive behind-the-scenes memoir, Roth now shares his singular insights on how governments can be encouraged to end human rights abuses. In an era when such crimes against humanity are increasing in scope and severity, Roth's candor and clarity provide inspirational wisdom and practical advice for rights advocates everywhere."--Booklist

"As the director of Human Rights Watch for three decades, Roth put public opinion to work in the service of his cause. Given the never-ending assault on human rights, a valuable call to fight back."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

KENNETH ROTH is the former executive director of Human Rights Watch. He has extensively investigated human rights abuses around the world, focusing especially on the world's most dire situations, the pursuit of international justice, the major powers' foreign policies, the work of the UN, and the global contexts between democracy and autocracy. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New York Review of Books, and other major publications. He spends his time between New York and Geneva.