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Kathryn Cameron Porter has served as a congressional chief of staff, electoral campaign manager, non-profit executive and consultant, and US presidential appointee. She knows how to connect the dots and make things happen from on the ground projects in Afghanistan to business opportunities in Iraq and Kurdistan, and the possibilities inherent in moving issues in Congress and the Federal Government. Kathryn Cameron Porter founded The Leadership Council for Human Rights in 2001. Kathryn is an applied anthropologist with an extensive background in political, cultural and social projects. Kathryn continues to serve as the voice of the voiceless in an effort to bring about positive change in the world. Her efforts focus on women in peace-building, sustainable development, and creative strategies to bring about positive change. Her approach is hands on and focuses on realistic objectives with a sound record of success. The Leadership Council has become a catalyst for both human rights and human responsibilities throughout the world. Kathryn has working contacts in the Middle East and North Africa, Central and South America, Eastern Europe, Asia and South Asia. She is an expert on the Kurds in Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria. Her focus has given voice to ethnic and religious minorities in a variety of areas – she considers women as a minority in much of the world. Kathryn was the catalyst for the formation of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1981, now the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. She has testified numerous times before Congress and International organizations including the UN, OSCE, European Parliament and Council of Europe. She serves on the boards of a number of national and international organizations.
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Afghanistan Afghan women have endured countless human rights violations for centuries, most recently at the hands of the Taliban regime which ruled the country until 2001, and still has an influence over certain regions of Afghanistan. Between 1996 and 2001, women were completely shut out of public life, unable to work, go outside without a male escort, or expose a single body part, including their eyes. They were literally prisoners within their homes. Today, Afghan women have increased rights, including a guarantee for gender equality in the new constitution, but they still face many obstacles. Especially in rural Afghanistan, women continue to be shielded from participating in civic life by family members. Many are denied the opportunity to attend school, and those who do make it to the classroom are at risk of being attacked by Islamic fundamentalists Coptic Voices This web page is dedicated to the individual Coptic Christians of Egypt . LCHR seeks to share narratives of a diverse cross section within the Coptic community, including Copts born in Egypt who fled to America, Copts still living in Egypt, and American-born Copts. Accounts explore what it means to be Coptic, how it affects their everyday lives, challenges they have had to overcome because of their Coptic identity, and their vision for the future of their people. Egypt In Egypt’s Copts are an indigenous ethno-religious minority who practice Christianity in this largely Islamic country. Because of their religious practices, the Copts have faced discrimination from their government. The construction of Coptic churches is stringently regulated, some Copts have been forcefully converted to Islam, and the country refuses to recognize the Copts’ status as an ethnic minority. In recent months, a flare up of violence has rocked the Coptic community in Alexandria, Egypt. Inflammatory and false newspaper reports of an “anti-Islam” play performed by a Coptic church there caused thousands of Muslims to launch violent protests, killing several people. A Coptic nun was stabbed during the upheaval. LCHR is working to promote the religious freedom of the Copts and to make sure that they receive equal treatment and protection from the Egyptian government. We are networking with Coptic churches in the US to create a grassroots constituency that represents the community’s voice and effectively brings Coptic concerns to decision makers. Iraq Internally Displaced Persons within Iraq, Summer 2007 August 16, 2007 in Iraq, News About 2 million people within Iraq have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the violence in the central and southern areas of the country. Some have no other option but to live in terrible conditions. Iraq LCHR field research fellow LaChelle Amos spent six weeks in Iraq, conducting research and contributing to the organization’s on-the-ground projects. Ms. Amos is a 2008 MA Candidate in American University’s International Peace and Conflict Resolution program within the School of International Service. Vietnam Vietnam’s indigenous populations encompass various indigenous tribal groups living in the country’s Central Highlands. These groups are ethnic and religious minorities; many are practicing Christianity. They have endured many hardships, including religious persecution, loss of land to a recent influx of ethnic Vietnamese, and policies designed to assimilate them into a national culture. Some have fled their homes and crossed the border of Cambodia seeking asylum from discriminatory practices in their own country. Thousands have been relocated to the U.S. and other countries; this flight has unfortunately left many families separated and incomplete. Disinformation stemming from actors in the US has caused some men living in the Highlands to abandon their families and go to refugee camps in Phnom Penh, because they have heard rumors that they can get money and other benefits by doing so. Western Sahara A cold war issue created to destabilize Morocco as it was the only country in the North Africa that choses to side with the US. Morocco is still paying the price by having its territorial intgrity questionned. Families are still devided some live in Western Sahara in freedom while others, kidnapped in the middle of the night and put in camps in Algeria with no rights for over 50 years. these people do not even enjoy the status of refugees and therefore kept hostages in the most brutal desert in North Africa. Kurdistan Kathryn Cameron Porter has consistently and publicly advocated for the rights and dignity of Kurdish communities—particularly within broader advocacy for Iraq and Turkey. Her contributions include influential editorials, solidarity actions like hunger strikes, and signed declarations supporting Kurdish political freedoms. ✏️ 1. Editorial Advocacy (2005) As President of the Leadership Council for Human Rights, Porter authored “Protect Kurdish Freedoms” in The Washington Times on August 14, 2005. In it, she urged Kurdish rights to be enshrined in Iraq’s post‑Saddam constitution, emphasizing freedom of expression, assembly, and religion Kurdipedia.org+3washingtontimes.com+3congress.gov+3 . 🥱 2. Fast in Front of U.S. Congress (Date unspecified, early 2000s) Porter joined Kurdish activists in a hunger fast outside the U.S. Capitol. The protest called attention to human rights violations in Turkey, and drew attention to perceived U.S. inaction despite Turkish government repression . 📝 3. Support for the Peace in Kurdistan Campaign (2015–16) Porter signed a widely circulated open letter—co-signed by numerous human rights figures—endorsing the Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and calling for international support for Kurdish democratic rights in Turkey and Iraq .
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