Copyright by Gregory Krauss 2007 - The University of Texas at Austin

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Conclusion The rise of the human rights movement and the beginning of the institutionalization of human rights in U.S. foreign policy opened the most successful chapter of Lister’s career. Launching himself wholeheartedly into the human rights cause, Lister did a great deal to make human rights an established part of U.S. foreign policy. It may seem somewhat paradoxical that Lister, who battled the State Department bureaucracy for most of his career—and who rarely stepped into a management role—would make such a large contribution to institutionalizing human rights in the State Department. Yet, he did so in at least two ways. In the 1970s, as a human rights officer, Lister shaped the first human rights reports as well as the process by which the reports are now produced. His switch to the human rights bureau in 1981 came precisely at the bureau’s low point. Working with Elliott Abrams, Lister helped to reinvigorate the bureau. His contacts with foreign democratic opposition leaders were especially helpful in causing the bureau to focus on human rights abuses by right-wing dictatorships, even though the Reagan administration preferred to orient its human rights policy against Communist regimes. Lister also shaped the development of the U.S. human rights movement—one of the principal sources of pressure for a strong human rights policy. In order to convince activists to lobby the State Department, he demystified the Department, and he openly argued with some activists to make their case to the U.S. government. Once 93
he had reduced mistrust, Lister helped them to make their case—always reminding them that their credibility would be improved if they treated human rights violations by Communist regimes as seriously as those by right-wing dictatorships. Besides helping activists to influence the U.S. government, Lister mentored young activists. His mentorship of Diane La Voy was instrumental in persuading her to found WOLA, one of the key human rights organizations working on Latin America. Overall, Lister was more successful in the 1970s and 1980s than at any time previously in his career. In human rights, Lister found a cause which he was effective at promoting. Some of the reasons for his success will be further explored in Chapter 6. Before turning to that subject, however, it is necessary to examine one more realm of impact—that of how Lister affected human rights and democracy in countries worldwide. 1 Speech, George Lister, February 1, 1968, Papers of George T. Lister, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas at Austin, p. I, 2 [papers hereinafter “Papers of George T. Lister”]. 2 Lars Schoultz, Human Rights and United States Policy Toward Latin America (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1981), p. 4. 3 Interview by Karen Engle and Gregory Krauss with John Shattuck, CEO, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation, Boston, Mass., July, 2006. 4 Schoultz, Human Rights and United States Policy Toward Latin America, p. 7. 5 Kenneth Cmiel, “The Emergence of Human Rights Politics in the United States,” The Journal of American History vol. 86, no. 3 (December 1999), pp. 1233-1234. 6 Ibid., p. 1231. 7 Speech by George Lister to Matias Rome Institute, Mexico City, Mexico, “U.S. Human Rights Policy: Origins and Implementation,” May 26, 1987, Papers of George Lister, p. 1. 8 Ibid. 9 Schoultz, Human Rights and United States Policy Toward Latin America, p. 123; Speech by George Lister, “U.S. Human Rights Policy: Origins and Implementation,” p. 1. 10 Ibid, p. 124. 11 Ibid., p. 125. 12 Ibid., p. 125-126. 94
Page 1 and 2:
Copyright by Gregory Krauss 2007
Page 3 and 4:
Impacting Foreign Policy as a Mid-L
Page 5 and 6:
Impacting Foreign Policy as a Mid-L
Page 7 and 8:
Chile..............................
Page 9 and 10:
contributions to U.S. foreign polic
Page 11 and 12:
etween personalities and more as a
Page 13 and 14:
duties but not jeopardize his caree
Page 15 and 16:
21 Morton H. Halperin and Patricia
Page 17 and 18:
younger sister. As Lister’s long-
Page 19 and 20:
as an ideological battle that the U
Page 21 and 22:
February 1955, Lister received a le
Page 23 and 24:
wanted to bring the entire Socialis
Page 25 and 26:
Schlesinger soon began working toge
Page 27 and 28:
espects Saragat more than vice-vers
Page 29 and 30:
Socialist Party that this office ha
Page 31 and 32:
First, his contacts with Italian So
Page 33 and 34:
eceptive to the Italian Socialists
Page 35 and 36:
64 George Lister, “Political Less
Page 37 and 38:
As he frequently did though, Lister
Page 39 and 40:
Impact in the Bureau of Inter-Ameri
Page 41 and 42:
leaders,” Lister wrote in 1971. 1
Page 43 and 44:
Latin Americans to watch out for [t
Page 45 and 46:
Lister’s facility with explaining
Page 47 and 48:
away from the Communists, much as h
Page 49 and 50: Domingo as part of an inter-departm
Page 51 and 52: the crisis was “interesting and i
Page 53 and 54: War effort. Besides his propaganda
Page 55 and 56: Affairs to ask that the U.S. press
Page 57 and 58: win the ideological battle against
Page 59 and 60: 31 Ibid. 32 Memo, George Lister to
Page 61 and 62: 104 Ibid. 105 Ibid. 106 Ibid. 107 C
Page 63 and 64: ights suddenly became a major U.S.
Page 65 and 66: international human rights experts
Page 67 and 68: Rights, Carter reiterated that U.S.
Page 69 and 70: Reagan’s human rights policy was,
Page 71 and 72: When, as a result of the hearings,
Page 73 and 74: Human rights were rhetorically usef
Page 75 and 76: substantial,” Shlaudeman said.
Page 77 and 78: a reporter as “Mr. Human Rights.
Page 79 and 80: encourage improvement. As if to und
Page 81 and 82: Lister won plaudits from Patricia D
Page 83 and 84: ut the hearings were the starting p
Page 85 and 86: moment. The bureau had already been
Page 87 and 88: democratic opposition leaders. List
Page 89 and 90: greater attention to human rights v
Page 91 and 92: occurred. Lister’s own toughness
Page 93 and 94: ability to update the State Departm
Page 95 and 96: a wide open society, essentially de
Page 97 and 98: wing regimes, you had to be against
Page 99: convinced that clear, reliable info
Page 103 and 104: 49 Telephone interview by Gregory K
Page 105 and 106: 117 Ibid., p. 13. 118 Report, Georg
Page 107 and 108: Chapter 5. Human Rights Case Studie
Page 109 and 110: The Carter administration had campa
Page 111 and 112: the Sandinista government became in
Page 113 and 114: the Sandinistas, but he did not cha
Page 115 and 116: of the 1980s. Lister’s relationsh
Page 117 and 118: opinion of the text. Lister suggest
Page 119 and 120: Lister wrote to Assistant Secretary
Page 121 and 122: that the USG is pro-Pinochet, you a
Page 123 and 124: concern about Chile, the Reagan adm
Page 125 and 126: violations by the Pinochet governme
Page 127 and 128: luncheons with the Chilean Congress
Page 129 and 130: how Lister managed to have such a l
Page 131 and 132: 62 Letter, Kim Dae Jung to George L
Page 133 and 134: 129 Library of Congress, Authoritar
Page 135 and 136: movement—in particular, by insist
Page 137 and 138: Lister’s other political base was
Page 139 and 140: State Department as well as human r
Page 141 and 142: open a political conversation with
Page 143 and 144: Archival Documents Bibliography Abr
Page 145 and 146: Lister, George. Memo to Mr. William
Page 147 and 148: Lister, George. Memo to ARA Office
Page 149 and 150: Lister, George. Memo to Elliott Abr
Page 151 and 152:
U.S. State Department. Career Histo
Page 153 and 154:
Library of Congress, Chile: The Con
Page 155 and 156:
Shlaudeman, Harry. Former Assistant
Page 157 and 158:
Memorial Service for George Lister.
show all

Copyright by Gregory Krauss 2007 - The University of Texas at Austin

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?