Bogert’s Human Rights Watch

            Carroll Bogert’s talk discussed the ideas within the topic of the United States being a leader in civil rights across the world. She first opened with explaining her job at Human Rights Watch; how they go into conflict zones and expose information regarding the violation of human rights within countries, and strategically use that information to create change for the better. Bogert went on to explain how the United States can have a hugely positive impact on civil rights when they intervene, but can also leave themselves out of situations though it might be necessary to intervene.

            Take the Central African Republic for example; there is a very evident split between the Christian and Muslim populations within the country, and it is also very poor. A coup took over the government, which led to much killing and pillaging of Christians throughout the country in 2013. Human Rights watch went in and exposed information to the UN regarding the situation in the Central African Republic and the UN ultimately responded positively. The United Nations later sent in almost 12,000 peace keepers and the United States ultimately had a positive effect on Human rights within the country. However, that is not always the case. I feel as though much of the population of the United States sees our government as a body, which constantly tries to help all other countries across the world when that is not necessarily the case. While the United States does help many countries with their human rights issues, they don’t actually help everyone.

In Bahrain, a small country in the Persian Gulf, there is a significant amount of oil and lots of conflict within the country. While Human Rights Watch did make an effort to expose what was going on within the country to the United States in order to find a way to make peace, the United States ignored all information from Human Rights watch and refused to get involved. The main reason behind the choice not to get involved with Bahrain’s issues was the fact that the United States has a naval base within the country.

            What Bogert was trying to get at was the fact that the United States and the way that we handle human rights is completely wrong. The government does attempt to help other countries, which it has affiliation with economically, and when the United States does not have any relations with the country, they are willing to assist. The United States government essentially does not find the need to help when it affects the United States resources. The government did not intervene with Bahrain because the country has oil and our naval base is in the country; because of this the US government did not see the need to quarrel with the Bahrain government. What Bogert essentially concluded was that the United States government when it comes to their actions on human rights across the world. A majority of the population believes that because the United States has had issues in the past with human rights that we have moved forward and are trying to inspire change in all countries in which basic human rights are being violated. In reality the government strategically chooses who to help in order to keep the country in a positive light with the other countries we associate ourselves with.