9/11 at 10: Uplifting Human Rights

The passage of a decade from the tragic events of September 11, 2001, marks a time to commemorate the lives that have been torn apart by, and lost to, terrorism. The tenth anniversary is also a time to reflect on whether the “dark side” exceptions to our commitment to civil liberties that have been made in the name of national security—from the indefinite detention, torture, and abuse of terrorism suspects, to intrusive government surveillance of innocent Americans, to the profiling and targeting of America’s Muslim communities—are becoming the rule.

The Open Society Foundations’ National Security and Human Rights Campaign believes that America is at its strongest when it adheres to the democratic values on which it was founded and leads by example on human rights. To build a future where America renounces the politics of fear and anger, the Campaign supports organizations that are working to protect civil liberties, promote national security policies that respect human rights, and counter the rise of anti-Muslim bigotry.

Throughout the month, the Campaign will run a blog series, 9/11 at 10, featuring grantees that are working in the halls of government and in communities across the country to uplift human rights as post-9/11 America comes to terms with the threats posed by terrorism.

Notwithstanding the obstacles blocking the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention center, dedicated lawyers are fighting to ensure that detainees are accorded due process of law. Doctors are speaking out about the severe emotional and physical damage caused when people spend years on end in detention without a fair trial or hope of release. Retired military leaders are joining human rights advocates in demanding that U.S. officials that sanctioned the use of torture be held to account. Civil libertarians are pushing back against the massive expansion in government surveillance that the Patriot Act unleashed. As the targeting of American Muslims escalates, Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical, Jewish, and Muslim faith leaders are standing together, alongside family members of 9/11 victims, to call for tolerance, inclusion, and unity through diversity.

The series launches with a piece by Georgetown University Law Professor David Cole, the editor of the Open Society Foundations’ new debate sourcebook for high school students, Securing Liberty: Debating Issues of Terrorism and Democratic Values in the Post-9/11 United States. In his post, Professor Cole explains that our Constitution can safeguard liberty, privacy, and equality not just in times of peace but in times of crisis—but only when an informed public demands this of its government. We hope you will be as inspired as we are by the 9/11 at 10 posts, and by the innovation and dedication our grantees bring to their work.