Under the leadership of Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch grew its staff to over 500 and conducted investigations in 100 countries, uncovering abuses and pressuring offending governments to desist. Roth has grappled with the worst of humanity, and persuaded leaders from around the globe to stand up to their repressive counterparts.

Roth was the son of a Jewish butcher who escaped Nazi Germany just before the war began. He grew up knowing how inhumane governments could be. His work took him all over the world to confront cruelty and injustice. Roth arrived in Rwanda shortly after their genocide; he scrutinized the impact of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, and he 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.

Roth’s strategies included the deployment of the ancient but powerful tool of shaming, and the anecdotes he shares illustrate its surprising effectiveness.