Building the House: An Interview with the National Democratic Institute’s Dickson Omondi

Dickson Omondi is the National Democratic Institute’s regional director for Southern and East Africa. He has over 20 years of experience in political party strengthening, legislative development, advancing electoral integrity, and civil society development work. His experience at NDI has involved long-term and short-term assignments to over 10 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and South Africa.

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To Say Enough: A Conversation with Ra’ad Zeid Al Hussein, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Ra’ad Zeid Al Hussein was Jordan’s ambassador to the United States from 2007-2010, and Permanent Representative of Jordan to the United Nations from 2010-2014. He then served
as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014-2018. Currently, he is a Perry World House Professor of Practice of Law and Human Rights at the University of Pennsylvania.

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75th Anniversary Special Alumni Feature: A Conversation with Jonathan Rauch

Jonathan Rauch ‘82 was a contributor to the Yale Political Monthly during his time at Yale and was a member of the Yale Daily News Editorial Board. Rauch has since worked as an author, journalist, and political commentator, during which time he has advocated strongly for issues including same-sex marriage and offered insightful analysis about the state of American democracy. He currently serves as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a contributing editor of National Journal and The Atlantic.

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75th Anniversary Special Alumni Feature: A Conversation with Matthew Ellison

Matthew Ellison ‘10 conducted interviews with a variety of experts for The Politic between 2007 and 2009. He went on to graduate from Georgetown University’s Law Center in 2015, serving as a Legislative Assistant at the House of Representatives during his studies. Ellison then worked for the South Carolina Democratic Party before assuming various roles in the House, which now include being the Policy Director for the House Majority Whip and the Special Counsel to the Chairman for a Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

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Voices of Black History Month: A Conversation with Haben Girma

The first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School, Haben Girma has spent her life advocating for disability justice and the importance of inclusion as a human rights lawyer. Girma is also a recipient of the Helen Keller Achievement Award and a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2016. Former President Barack Obama also named her a White House Champion for change. Using a braille communication system that she developed herself, Girma spoke with The Politic over text about her life, activism, and the ongoing fight against ableism. 

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