Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

Human Rights: The Foundation for Peace

A Bipartisan Congressional Dialogue with Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Rep. James P. McGovern (D-MA)

Date: Tuesday, March 20, 2018 / Time: 9:00am - 10:00am 

Read the event coverage
Share This
Print the Page

As Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Rep. James P. McGovern (D-MA) play a leading role in advancing international human rights in Congress. The two Members of Congress drew on their experiences promoting human rights in authoritarian and violent, conflict-affected countries at USIP’s Inaugural Bipartisan Congressional Dialogue on March 20, 2018. At this event, they discussed their shared approach to addressing the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya in Burma, the destructive Syrian armed conflict, and the plight of ethnic and religious minorities throughout the Middle East and in Asia. Rep. Hultgren and Rep. McGovern spoke about their joint efforts to incorporate human rights into U.S. policies with the aim of fostering international stability and peace.

Established as a bipartisan commission in 2008 by unanimous consent of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission leads congressional initiatives to promote, defend and advocate for international human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments. As Co-Chairs, Rep. Hultgren and Rep. McGovern have led dozens of hearings and briefings during the 115th Congress on human rights issues around the world in countries and regions vital to U.S. foreign policy and national security interests.

Review the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #BipartisanUSIP.

Panelists

Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL)
14th Congressional District of Illinois, U.S. House of Representatives

Rep. James P. McGovern (D-MA)
2nd Congressional District of Massachusetts, U.S. House of Representatives

Nancy Lindborg, Moderator
President, U.S. Institute of Peace

Related Publications

Myanmar’s Collapsing Military Creates a Crisis on China’s Border

Myanmar’s Collapsing Military Creates a Crisis on China’s Border

Thursday, April 11, 2024

By: Jason Tower

Operation 1027 — an offensive launched in October 2023 by an alliance of three ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) against the military junta in Myanmar — has disrupted hundreds of forced labor scam syndicates operating under the protection of Myanmar’s army, dented the army’s image of invincibility and decimated the lucrative China-Myanmar border trade. A second operation launched on March 7 by another EAO in Kachin State has compounded China’s economic woes by adding to the impact on trade.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

How a Fractured Myanmar is Navigating U.S.-China Rivalry

How a Fractured Myanmar is Navigating U.S.-China Rivalry

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

By: Phyu Hnin

As the rivalry between the United States and China intensifies, Southeast Asian countries have been forced to navigate this growing power competition. The challenge has proven formidable even for those with strong governance and stability. For Myanmar — where a civil conflict between the ruling military junta and a loose alliance of resistance groups recently entered its fourth year — developing a cohesive approach to navigating U.S.-China competition might seem unattainable and unimportant in the current moment.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & Prevention;  Global Policy

Myanmar: New Data Show Wide Support for Unity Government

Myanmar: New Data Show Wide Support for Unity Government

Thursday, February 29, 2024

By: Jangai Jap, Ph.D.;  Amy H. Liu, Ph.D.

The three-month offensive by Myanmar’s alliance of disparate ethnic armed groups has weakened the military regime more than at any time since it seized power three years ago. This highlights a question for international policymakers: Could the anti-coup forces stabilize Myanmar? New public opinion data bolsters evidence that the National Unity Government (NUG) — which combines representatives elected in the 2020 election and ethnic minority leaders — has a solid basis to lead such an effort, holding strong popular support across Myanmar’s numerous ethnic groups. Such stabilization will depend on the NUG’s ability to deepen its inclusivity and responsiveness and broaden its political coalition.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance

Myanmar’s Fateful Conscription Law

Myanmar’s Fateful Conscription Law

Monday, February 26, 2024

By: Ye Myo Hein

Earlier this month, Myanmar’s ruling junta enacted a compulsory conscription law that had been dormant since 2010. General Guan Maw, a leader of the Kachin Independence Organization, greeted the junta's decision by comparing it to the 2021 military coup: "If February 1, 2021, was the beginning of the end, the law enforced on February 10, 2024, can be said to mark the end of the end.” As popular reactions to the new conscription plan roll out across the country, General Guan Maw’s pronouncement becomes increasingly prescient.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

View All Publications