Human Rights Foundation Presents Tyranny Tracker on Campus

On October 19, Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations hosted the *Human Rights Foundation* (HRF), a nonprofit organization focused on promoting and protecting human rights globally, emphasizing authoritarian regimes. HRF experts came to Seton Hall to discuss their new research initiative, Tyranny Tracker, which monitors political freedom and the state of authoritarianism around the world and supports efforts to advance liberal democracy.

Seton Hall School of Diplomacy welcomed back alumna Malaak Jamal, who now serves as HRF’s director of policy and research, overseeing its research and analyzing political regime developments in countries under authoritarian rule. Jamal graduated from Seton Hall School of Diplomacy and International Relations in 2015, receiving her Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations, specializing in human rights, international law and post-conflict state reconstruction and sustainability.

Jamal presented the Tyranny Tracker, sharing information on the 45 indicators covering issues of electoral competition, freedom of dissent and institutional accountability to assess countries as democratic, hybrid authoritarian or fully authoritarian.

The Human Rights Foundation launched the Tyranny Tracker earlier this year. Tyranny Tracker contrasts with indices that rely mainly on quantitative data, as it uses qualitative analysis to capture nuances commonly missed by numbers.

With heavy emphasis on executive-led backsliding, skewing of elections, free media and the role of judicial independence, it sheds a unique light on categorizing what a democracy is.

The event’s keynote address was given by Faisal Al Mutar, the founder and president of Ideas Beyond Borders. Mutar was raised in Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein. Ideas Beyond Borders was founded to translate classical liberal thought, promote innovation and support policy reform across the Arab world, particularly in Iraq, to combat widespread misinformation.

Following the address, Dean Martin Edwards moderated a panel discussion with HRF policy representatives. Members of the panel included Pavel Kutsevol, policy officer for Europe and Central Asia, where he leads the region’s campaigns, projects and outreach efforts; Jenny Wang, senior policy officer for Asia-Pacific, where she helps oversee the organization’s outreach, campaigns and projects relating to the Asia-Pacific; Alvaro Piaggio, senior policy officer for the Americas, where he oversees the organization’s research and campaigns in the Americas; and Amara Galileo, research fellow for Africa, where she focuses on authoritarianism and political developments across Africa.

When the panelists were asked what one thing gave them hope for the future of international politics, most panelists answered the increase in youth-led movements across the world. From AfroEurAsia to the Americas and the Caribbean, youth-led political movements are shaping the future of their nations and even changing the tides of history.

Tyranny Tracker is only in its first year of operation and will continue to evolve with annual reviews and updates on the state of authoritarian regimes around the world.

Categories: Community Engagement, Nation and World