Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Kenneth Roth discusses how we can use shame to keep governments accountable in this post-truth age.
In the current political climate, is shame a thing of the past?
With a free trial, you can watch the full talk NOW at iai.tv/video/the-power-and-politics-of-shame?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description
For thirty years, Kenneth Roth led Human Rights Watch in confronting the world’s most brutal regimes. Drawing on frontline experience from Rwanda to Xinjiang, he reveals how moral pressure and strategic shaming can force even the most repressive governments to change course. From exposing war crimes to defending civil liberties, Roth shares a lifetime of insights into the struggle for justice and what it takes to hold power to account in an age of impunity.
#humanrights #truth #justice #politics
Kenneth Roth is an attorney, activist and author best known as the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch for nearly thirty years. He is currently a fellow of the Harvard Kennedy School and a lecturer at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs.
The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=https://iai.tv/video/the-power-and-politics-of-shame
0:00 Intro
0:35 How shame stopped torture in Egypt
2:34 Bringing persecution of the Uyghurs to light
3:31 Does shame work in a post-truth world?
5:07 How to trick Trump into feeling shame
7:06 Why this isn't such a bad time for human rights
For debates and talks: iai.tv
For articles: iai.tv/articles
For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses
Kenneth Roth discusses how we can use shame to keep governments accountable in this post-truth age.
In the current political climate, is shame a thing of the past?
With a free trial, you can watch the full talk NOW at iai.tv/video/the-power-and-politics-of-shame?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description
For thirty years, Kenneth Roth led Human Rights Watch in confronting the world’s most brutal regimes. Drawing on frontline experience from Rwanda to Xinjiang, he reveals how moral pressure and strategic shaming can force even the most repressive governments to change course. From exposing war crimes to defending civil liberties, Roth shares a lifetime of insights into the struggle for justice and what it takes to hold power to account in an age of impunity.
#humanrights #truth #justice #politics
Kenneth Roth is an attorney, activist and author best known as the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch for nearly thirty years. He is currently a fellow of the Harvard Kennedy School and a lecturer at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs.
The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=https://iai.tv/video/the-power-and-politics-of-shame
0:00 Intro
0:35 How shame stopped torture in Egypt
2:34 Bringing persecution of the Uyghurs to light
3:31 Does shame work in a post-truth world?
5:07 How to trick Trump into feeling shame
7:06 Why this isn't such a bad time for human rights
For debates and talks: iai.tv
For articles: iai.tv/articles
For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses
