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A recent column argues Harvard is “hyperfixated” on Israel, in “academically unserious” ways, listing the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy — which we lead — as one exhibit. Let us respectfully disagree and explain how we address many human rights issues through our programming.

The columnist is right that Carr has responded to needs for events related to Gaza. We strive to offer balanced programming, though “balancing” is about the series, not each event. Recent events have included conversations with a former American ambassador to Israel; a former European Union High Representative; Palestinian activists; Israeli journalists; Harvard Middle-East specialist Tarek E. Masoud; and a former director of Human Rights Watch. The columnist singles out an event with Peter Beinart, among the most visible Jewish intellectuals, who is in the JFK Jr. Forum on April 8 in conversation with one of us, Mathias. The last time Mathias was featured there was to interview a Holocaust survivor. 

In early April, we did much on Gaza, as was cherry-picked from last week’s newsletter in the column. However, that newsletter also announced events on Syria, the drug war in Latin America, connections between human rights and climate change, the Transgender Day of Visibility, and a conference on the Roma. We regularly do events in the LGBTQI-space, country-specific events (e.g., Venezuela, Afghanistan), events around incarceration, tech topics (e.g., neuro-rights), and international law, including one with a Nigerian judge who also is a former president of the International Criminal Court. Another recent guest was former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson.

The aforementioned article wondered why we were not covering Ukraine, Myanmar, or Congo. We held an event on Congo this semester, featuring a Congolese center fellow. Mathias hosted an event earlier this semester on the war in Ukraine and the movie “20 Days in Mariupol.”  While we have not yet had an event on Myanmar, Maggie interviewed Burmese activist Wai Wai Nu for our podcast in January.   We have ties to organizations like Fortify Rights that focus on Myanmar. Myanmar features in Mathias’ class on Moral Leadership every year.

We are hyperfixated on human rights, in serious ways: please join us!

—Mathias Risse is Berthold Beitz professor in Human Rights, Global Affairs and Philosophy and director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. Maggie Gates is the executive director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy.