The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2021

30 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL human rights defenders Leyla and Arif Yunus, whose health had been failing in prison; or, more recently, making daily visits to the home of Belarusian Nobel laureate and opposition figure Svetlana Aleksievich, to deter violence and intimidation by the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka. She had been receiving anonymous threats, and unknown individuals had attempted to enter her home. The visits and social media posts about her case by foreign diplomats helped keep her safe until she was able to leave the country. In many ways, the challenges facing democracy and human rights around the world seem dire. We are in the middle of a lethal pandemic that has presented a range of new challenges to democratic rule and fundamental freedoms. But there are also signs of hope. Protest movements have continued unabated despite lockdowns, and in the past two years they have helped overthrow a dictator in Sudan and threatened another in Belarus. Dictatorships are inherently brittle and face questions from citizens about whether they can deliver services and economic growth. Corruption is an Achilles’ heel for many of them. We must also remember that democratic principles and respect for human rights are not “Western” concepts but universal values with worldwide appeal. It is up to America— and its diplomatic service—to remind global audiences of this essential truth. n It is vital that diplomats report the truth about the human rights situations in the countries in which they are stationed, even if they worry that Washington will not judge them kindly for their candor.