Episode 48 - Three decades on the frontlines of battling abusive governments | Kenneth Roth | UNAPOLOGETIC

Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, joins UNAPOLOGETIC to discuss his new book Righting Wrongs.

Part memoir, part strategy guide, part global analysis, the book offers a rare inside look at how human rights advocacy really works. In this conversation, we explore how Roth built HRW from a team of just 60 people into a global organisation with more than 550 staff.

He reflects on political strategy, the limits of “naming and shaming,” and the constant struggle to fund independent rights work.

We also dive into HRW’s landmark reports—on apartheid and genocide in Gaza, the devastation of Syria’s war, Rwanda, China, Russia, and more. Roth shares what he learned from world leaders, victims, and dictators, and how those encounters shaped his understanding of power and human nature.

A wide-ranging conversation on justice, accountability, and whether the world is becoming a better place.