Stanford University

Human Rights

Joong-Seop Kim

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Visiting Scholar at APARC, 2025
joong_seop_kim.jpg Ph.D.

Joong-Seop Kim joined the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as visiting scholar for the 2025 calendar year. He currently serves as Emeritus Professor in the Department of Sociology at Gyeongsang National University in Korea. While at APARC, he conducted research on human rights and racism in East Asia.

He has written and edited numerous books and articles on social movements, human rights, and historical sociology. His notable publications include The Hyongpyong (Egalitarian) Movement in Retrospect: Commemorating the Centennial Anniversary of the Hyongpyongsa (2025); Hyongpyong Movement and the Era of Human Rights (co-ed., 2023); Localization of Human Rights: For the Implementation of Human Rights in Everyday Life (2016); Toward an Egalitarian Society: A Comparison between Korean Hyongpyongsa and Japanese Suiheisha (2015); The Korean Paekjong under Japanese Rule: The Quest for Equality and Human Rights (2003, in English); Hyongpyong Movement (2001, 2003 in Japanese); The Era of Social Movements: Historical Sociology of Local Community under Japanese Colonial Rule (2012); The Outlook for Human Rights in the Era of Globalization (co-ed., 2004; 2004 in Japanese); A Study of Hyongpyong Movement: Social History of Paekjong Under Japanese Rule (1994). (All works are in Korean unless otherwise indicated.)

After earning his BA and MA from Yonsei University in Korea, he completed his PhD at Hull University in the United Kingdom in 1989.


 

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Defying the (Autocratic) Odds: A Conversation with María Corina Machado, Leader of Venezuela’s Democratic Movement

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Maria Machado event

This past summer, Venezuela's presidential election was overshadowed by Nicolás Maduro's attempt at large-scale electoral fraud. Despite these efforts, the Venezuelan democratic movement successfully provided evidence showing that their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, had won with nearly 70% of the vote. In response, the Maduro regime has escalated its repression of opposition leaders and advocates of democratic reforms, deepening political tensions and raising serious concerns about the country's democratic future.

On Monday, November 18, the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law is honored to host María Corina Machado, the leader of the Venezuelan pro-democracy movement and the main architect of the July 28 electoral victory, for a video address to the Stanford community sharing her experiences and perspectives on sustaining democratic resilience in the face of authoritarianism. The conversation will be moderated by Larry Diamond, the Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). Together, they will explore Venezuela’s current political challenges, the critical role of civic engagement, and strategies for fostering democratic transitions in restrictive environments.

The event will conclude with an interactive Q&A session, allowing students, faculty, and the greater Stanford community to engage directly with Ms. Machado and gain deeper insights into her experiences.

This event is co-sponsored by the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) and the Neukom Center for the Rule of Law.

speakers

María Carina Machado

María Corina Machado

Leader of the Democratic Movement in Venezuela

María Corina Machado is the leading figure of the Venezuelan democratic movement and was the central architect of the historic victory of Edmundo González in the July 28th, 2024, presidential election. Her leadership and vision unified Venezuela's pro-democracy forces during a pivotal moment in the country's history.

Machado won the Venezuelan opposition primaries on October 22nd, 2023, with an overwhelming 92.35% of the vote. Despite her landslide victory, she was illegally disqualified from running by the regime in a blatant move to undermine the democratic process. Undeterred, she continues to lead the fight for freedom and democracy in Venezuela, inspiring millions to stand up against authoritarianism.

Her tireless work in the face of adversity has made her a symbol of hope and resistance for Venezuelans and a crucial voice in the global conversation on democracy and human rights.

Machado holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB) and a specialization in Finance from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA). She has also taught Human Resources Management in the Industrial Engineering Department at UCAB. In 2009, she participated in the prestigious World Fellows Program at Yale University. She is the recipient of the 2024 Sakharov Prize, presented by the European Parliament, and the 2024 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, presented by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg.

Machado is also the founder and national coordinator of the political movement Vente Venezuela and co-founder of the Venezuelan civil association Súmate.

Professor Larry Diamond

Larry Diamond

Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI)

Larry Diamond is William L. Clayton Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), and a Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education at Stanford University. His research focuses on global trends affecting freedom and democracy, and U.S. and international policies to advance democracy and counter authoritarian influence. He was the founding coeditor of the Journal of Democracy and he remains a consultant to the National Endowment for Democracy. Among his books is Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency.

Larry Diamond
Larry Diamond

Hauck Auditorium
David and Joan Traitel Building, Hoover Institution (435 Lasuen Mall, Stanford)

María Corina Machado
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The Global Dimensions of the Chinese Government Human Rights Abuses

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Rachel Owens
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Why have democracies failed in curtailing Xi Jinping’s human rights abuses? And how can they better insulate themselves from Beijing's transnational threats? At a CDDRL research seminar, Sophie Richardson — CDDRL Visiting Scholar and former China Director at Human Rights Watch — presented her research on the Chinese government’s deteriorating human rights record. 

While the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s human rights violations are longstanding, Richardson noted, they witnessed a notable escalation under Xi Jinping’s rule. Among them are free speech restrictions, the silencing of civil society, increased surveillance, and forced labor. 

But, as Richardson pointed out, these violations do not stop at China’s borders and have taken on a transnational dimension.

Illustrating the severity and scope of Beijing's human rights abuses, Richardson provided examples of both activists and party members who have been targeted by the CCP. These include an activist who was arrested on the charge of “picking quarrels and causing trouble” and later fell ill and died in detention, as well as the former Chinese ambassador to the US — a loyal party member — who was called back to China and disappeared for some time.

What have democracies done in the face of these abuses? Sanctions, visa bans, and import/export controls are common levers. Some countries — Canada being a prime example — have expanded their refugee status for communities targeted by Chinese authorities.

Notwithstanding these initiatives, Richardson argued, the reach of the CCP’s repression may be much larger than conventionally assumed. Understanding the transnational scope of its repression is key to any effort to devise mechanisms to combat it. 

A prime example is the threat that the CCP continues to pose to democratic elections in other countries. Richardson cited efforts by the CCP to ensure that officials friendly to Xi’s government are elected. Threats of censorship, surveillance, harassment, and physical violence against Chinese students abroad have hampered academic freedom in democracies. Regime actors also threaten the UN human rights system, blocking unwanted scrutiny of the CCP’s human rights transgressions.

High-profile individuals with relatives in China remain vulnerable, as authorities can retaliate against their family members if they voice critical views.

As the scope of Xi’s influence becomes more evident, the question remains: Why have democracies failed to contain it? Richardson believes they are in denial of the overall trajectory, choosing to prioritize other interests at the expense of human rights. Their inability to coordinate in the long term presents an additional challenge. Finally, many democracies have dismissed anti-democratic threats posed by the CCP on grounds that they are idiosyncratic and unworthy of a broader response.

Richardson underscored the importance of greater precision in characterizing the threats posed by the Chinese government to democracy and the imperative to build an international commitment to protecting human rights in China.

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Sophie Richardson, CDDRL Visiting Scholar, 2024
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Sophie Richardson, Expert on Human Rights in China, Joins CDDRL as Visiting Scholar

During her tenure at Stanford, Dr. Richardson will embark on individual research endeavors while focusing on completing her forthcoming book project, titled "Great Changes Unseen in a Century: How to Save Democracy and Human Rights from Xi Jinping."
Sophie Richardson, Expert on Human Rights in China, Joins CDDRL as Visiting Scholar
Josiah Ober presents during a CDDRL research seminar on February 22, 2024.
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The Civic Bargain and Democratic Survival

How do democracies arise, and what conditions promote their survival? In a CDDRL seminar series talk, Professor of Political Science and Classics Josiah Ober addressed this question, drawing on his latest book, “The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives” (Princeton University Press), co-authored with Brook Manville.
The Civic Bargain and Democratic Survival
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Sophie Richardson
Sophie Richardson presents during a CDDRL research seminar on March 7, 2024. Photo: Rachel Cody Owens
Rachel Cody Owens
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Why have democracies failed in curtailing Xi Jinping’s human rights abuses? And how can they better insulate themselves from Beijing's transnational threats? CDDRL Visiting Scholar and former China Director at Human Rights Watch Sophie Richardson presented her research on the Chinese government’s deteriorating human rights record.

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The College Freedom Forum: The Struggle for Democracy in the Asia-Pacific Region

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Human Rights Foundation's College Freedom Forum speaker on stage

The registration form for this event is closed. If you wish to attend, please proceed to the event check-in table in front of the Bechtel Conference Center, Encina Hall.

The College Freedom Forum connects university students with world-renowned activists working to promote democracy and human rights in authoritarian regimes. During this event, students will gain exposure to some of today’s most pressing human rights issues, resources to enhance their academic endeavors, and connections for professional growth.

Programming will focus on human rights, democratic movements, and activism in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes in the Asia-Pacific region. Speakers will shed light on some of the region’s most pressing human rights issues, from the Chinese Communist Party’s repression of the Uyghur people to Kim Jong-un’s totalitarian regime in North Korea to crackdowns on free speech in Vietnam, among others. Activists will convene to share their personal stories and highlight what the international community can do to stand in solidarity with their causes.

Confirmed Speakers:

  • Jewher Ilham, Uyghur advocate and daughter of imprisoned scholar Ilham Tohti
  • Mai Khoi, Vietnamese pop star and political activist
  • Eunhee Park, North Korean defector
  • Lobsang Sangay, Former Prime Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration’s government-in-exile

 

We will also have a panel discussion with Stanford faculty on authoritarian repression in the Asia-Pacific region and the responses of civil society and pro-democracy movements.

At a catered reception following the event, students will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the speakers.

This event is hosted by the Human Rights Foundation, and co-sponsored with Stanford's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and the Center for Human Rights and International Justice.

Symposiums

Sophie Richardson, Expert on Human Rights in China, Joins CDDRL as Visiting Scholar

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The Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University is proud to announce the appointment of Sophie Richardson as a Visiting Scholar. Dr. Richardson, a longtime activist and scholar of Chinese politics, human rights, and foreign policy, will be in residence with the Center through December 2024.

From 2006 to 2023, Dr. Richardson served as the China Director at Human Rights Watch, spearheading the organization's research and advocacy efforts. She has published extensively on human rights and testified to the Canadian Parliament, European Parliament, and the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Dr. Richardson is the author of China, Cambodia, and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (Columbia University Press, Dec. 2009), an in-depth examination of China's foreign policy since 1954's Geneva Conference, including rare interviews with Chinese policymakers.

Dr. Richardson speaks Chinese and earned her doctorate from the University of Virginia and her BA from Oberlin College. Her current research focuses on the global implications of democracies’ weak responses to increasingly repressive Chinese governments, and she is advising several China-focused human rights organizations.

During her tenure at Stanford, Dr. Richardson will embark on individual research endeavors while focusing on completing her forthcoming book project, titled "Great Changes Unseen in a Century: How to Save Democracy and Human Rights from Xi Jinping."

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Kumi Naidoo joins the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies as the 2023-24 Payne Distinguished Lecturer
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Social Justice and Environmental Activist Kumi Naidoo Named Payne Distinguished Lecturer

Naidoo brings a multi-disciplinary perspective from his experiences as a leader at Greenpeace International, Amnesty International, and other causes to the students and scholars at FSI and beyond.
Social Justice and Environmental Activist Kumi Naidoo Named Payne Distinguished Lecturer
Brett Carter and Erin Baggot Carter present their new book during CDDRL's Fall 2023 Research Seminar Series
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CDDRL Affiliated Scholars Build the World’s Largest Autocratic Propaganda Dataset

Erin Baggot Carter and Brett Carter discuss their new book in the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law’s weekly research seminar.
CDDRL Affiliated Scholars Build the World’s Largest Autocratic Propaganda Dataset
Amichai Magen joins the Freeman Spogli Institute as its inaugural Visiting Fellow in Israel Studies.
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Meet Amichai Magen, Stanford’s Visiting Fellow in Israel Studies

In spring quarter, Magen, a scholar of law, government, and international relations, will teach “Israel: Society, Politics and Policy.”
Meet Amichai Magen, Stanford’s Visiting Fellow in Israel Studies
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Sophie Richardson, CDDRL Visiting Scholar, 2024
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During her tenure at Stanford, Dr. Richardson will embark on individual research endeavors while focusing on completing her forthcoming book project, titled "Great Changes Unseen in a Century: How to Save Democracy and Human Rights from Xi Jinping."

Sophie Richardson

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CDDRL Visiting Scholar, 2024
bio_image_-_sophie_richardson.jpg

Sophie Richardson is a longtime activist and scholar of Chinese politics, human rights, and foreign policy.  From 2006 to 2023, she served as the China Director at Human Rights Watch, where she oversaw the organization’s research and advocacy. She has published extensively on human rights, and testified to the Canadian Parliament, European Parliament, and the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Dr. Richardson is the author of China, Cambodia, and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (Columbia University Press, Dec. 2009), an in-depth examination of China's foreign policy since 1954's Geneva Conference, including rare interviews with Chinese policy makers. She speaks Mandarin, and received her doctorate from the University of Virginia and her BA from Oberlin College. Her current research focuses on the global implications of democracies’ weak responses to increasingly repressive Chinese governments, and she is advising several China-focused human rights organizations. 

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Public Opinion in Palestine Before the Conflict

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Public Opinion in Palestine Before the Conflict

On the eve of Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel, Arab Barometer completed its 8th wave survey in Palestine. The findings offer unique insight into the views of ordinary Palestinians living in both the West Bank and Gaza.

In this event, guest speakers Amaney A. Jamal and Michael Robbins will provide an overview of the views of government, living conditions, views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and international actors. This includes low levels of support for most existing political actors and increasingly difficult economic situations for Palestinians. Jamal and Robbins find that Palestinians want a peaceful solution and are wary of normalization that does not provide a solution to this broader problem. They find limited support for most international actors, but do find indications of which countries may be better placed to help bring an end to the conflict and work to rebuild Gaza once the conflict comes to an end.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Amaney Jamal

Amaney A. Jamal is Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, the Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics, and Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. Jamal also directs the Workshop on Arab Political Development and the Bobst-AUB Collaborative Initiative. She is the former President of the Association of Middle East Women’s Studies (AMEWS). The focus of her current research is on the drivers of political behavior in the Arab world, Muslim immigration to the US and Europe, and the effect of inequality and poverty on political outcomes. Jamal’s books include Barriers to Democracy (2007), which explores the role of civic associations in promoting democratic effects in the Arab world (winner of the 2008 APSA Best Book Award in comparative democratization). She is co-editor of Race and Arab Americans Before and After 9/11: From Invisible Citizens to Visible Subjects (2007) and Citizenship and Crisis: Arab Detroit after 9/11 (2009). Her most recent book, Of Empires and Citizens, was published by Princeton University Press (2012). Jamal is co-principal investigator of the Arab Barometer Project, winner of the Best Dataset in the Field of Comparative Politics (Lijphart/Przeworski/Verba Dataset Award 2010); co-PI of the Detroit Arab American Study, a sister survey to the Detroit Area Study; and senior advisor on the Pew Research Center projects focusing on Islam in America (2006) Global Islam (2010) and Islam in America (2017). Ph.D. University of Michigan. In 2005, Jamal was named a Carnegie Scholar.
 

Michael Robbins

Michael Robbins is the director and co-principal investigator of Arab Barometer. He has been a part of the research network since its inception and serving as director since 2014. He has led or overseen more than 100 surveys in international contexts and is a leading expert in survey methods on ensuring data quality. His work on Arab public opinion, political Islam, and political parties has been published in Comparative Political Studies, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, the Journal of Democracy and Foreign Affairs. He received the American Political Science Association Aaron Wildavsky Award for the Best Dissertation in the field of Religion and Politics.

Hesham Sallam

Online via Zoom

Amaney Jamal Professor Professor of Politics and International Affairs Princeton School for Public and International Affairs
Michael Robbins Director and Co-Principal Investigator Director and Co-Principal Investigator, Arab Barometer Arab Barometer
Lectures
Arab Reform and Democracy Speaker Series

Video Interview: Kiyoteru Tsutsui Discusses the Paradoxes of International Human Rights and State Power

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APARC Deputy Director and Japan Program Director Kiyoteru Tsutsui recently joined Nippon TV host Atsushi Tamura for a conversation in an episode of the series "Another Sky."

The conversation included an overview of Tsutsui’s research on international human rights, the reasoning behind his decision to study human rights as a sociologist, and other topics. One issue that Tsutsui identified over the course of the interview is the tension between international human rights institutions and the vested interests of powerful governments, a topic that he addresses in his award-winning book Human Rights and the State (Iwanami Shinsho, 2022). The book received the 44th Suntory Prize for Arts and Sciences and the Ishibashi Tanzan Prize and was recognized by the Shinsho Taisho Award.

Tsutsui's book traces the origins and evolution of universal human rights principles and the establishment of a human rights framework that curtails the influence of nations averse to external involvement in their domestic matters. In it, Tsutsui examines the effectiveness of international human rights since the collapse of the Cold War system and examines the quality of Japan's human rights diplomacy and education.

Watch the full interview below:

Kiyoteru Tsutsui

Kiyoteru Tsutsui

Henri H. and Tomoye Takahashi Professor and Senior Fellow in Japanese Studies at Shorenstein APARC, Director of the Japan Program and Deputy Director at APARC, Senior Fellow at FSI, and Professor of Sociology
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A pair of Kawasaki P-3, part of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force
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The Cost of the "Taiwan Contingency" and Japan's Preparedness

The ultimate choice that must be made.
The Cost of the "Taiwan Contingency" and Japan's Preparedness
Kiyoteru Tsutsui
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Despite the Popularity of Manga and Anime, Kiyoteru Tsutsui Feels the Decline of Japanese Studies in the United States

Professor Kiyoteru Tsutsui, a recipient of the Suntory Prize for Arts and Letters and the Ishibashi Tanzan Prize, is a member of the third cohort of the U.S.-Japan Next Generation Network, an exchange program of policy experts from the United States and Japan launched in 2009 by the Mansfield Foundation in the United States in cooperation with the Japan Foundation. As a participant in the network, he explores the state of Japanese studies in the United States.
Despite the Popularity of Manga and Anime, Kiyoteru Tsutsui Feels the Decline of Japanese Studies in the United States
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The Japanese Public Supports Women’s Leadership More Than Japan’s Global Gender Ranking Suggests

Contrary to current levels of women’s under-representation in leadership positions in Japan, the Stanford Japan Barometer, a new periodic public opinion survey co-developed by Stanford sociologist Kiyoteru Tsutsui and Dartmouth College political scientist Charles Crabtree, finds that the Japanese public favors women for national legislature and corporate board member positions.
The Japanese Public Supports Women’s Leadership More Than Japan’s Global Gender Ranking Suggests
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APARC Deputy Director Kiyoteru Tsutsui
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APARC Deputy Director and Japan Program Director Kiyoteru Tsutsui joins Nippon TV host Atsushi Tamura on an episode of "Another Sky" to share his work on international human rights and discuss his most recent book, "Human Rights and the State."

Yuya Ouchi

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Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar at APARC, 2023-2024
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
yuyaouchi.jpeg Ph.D.

Yuya Ouchi joined the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as a visiting postdoctoral scholar for the 2023-2024 academic year. Ouchi is a postdoctoral fellow with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. While at APARC, he conducted research with Professor Kiyoteru Tsutsui on international human rights.

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Perspectives on North Korean Human Rights: Universal Values and Regional Security

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Flyer for the conference "Perspectives on North Korean Human Rights" with a photo of a man riding a bicycle next to a field with a North Korean flag flying on the roadside.

As 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the UN Human Rights Council's vote to create a Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, this conference brings together scholars, experts, and officials to discuss the direction of North Korea's human rights issues.

This event is made possible by generous support from the Korea Foundation and other friends of the Korea Program.

AGENDA

1:00-1:30 pm    Opening Session

Welcoming Remark:
Gi-Wook Shin, Director of Shorenstein APARC, William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea, Stanford University

Opening Speech:
Shin-wha Lee, ROK Ambassador-at-Large on International Cooperation for North Korean Human Rights

Keynote Speech:
His Excellency Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President of Mongolia; Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow, Stanford University

1:30-3:10 pm    Session I: North Korean Human Rights from the Standpoint of Universal Values

Presenters:
Andrew S. Natsios, Executive Professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University; former Administrator of USAID 
Kiyoteru Tsutsui, Director of Japan Program at APARC, Professor of Sociology and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University

Discussants: 
Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution and Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University
Dafna Zur, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Stanford University. 
Soo Kyung Kim, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Welfare, Hanshin University

Moderator: Gi-Wook Shin

3:10-3:30 pm    Break

3:30-5:00 pm   Session II: North Korean Human Rights from Regional Security Perspectives

Presenters:
Frank Jannuzi, President and CEO, Mansfield Foundation
Hee-Seok Shin, Legal Analyst, Transitional Justice Working Group

Discussants:
Chaesung Chun, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Seoul National University; Chair of the National Security Research Center, East Asia Institute
Jae Jeok Park, Professor at the Graduate School of International Studies, Yonsei University

Moderator: Ambassador Shin-wha Lee

 

William J. Perry Conference Room, Encina Hall, 2nd Floor
616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University

This is an in-person event and is not live-streamed.

Conferences
Korean Studies Colloquium Series
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