Biography and Career Accomplishments

 Kathryn Cameron Porter currently serves as President of The Human Rights Alliance.  During the past year, Kathryn has traveled to a number of countries including Armenia, Nagorno-Karabagh, Cyprus, Greece, Syria, Southeast Turkey, Kurdistan, Iraq, Iran, and Guatemala.  The plight of the people she met in these diverse areas, coupled with her first-hand observance of the aggressive actions on these innocent people, have been the catalyst for the formation of The Human Rights Alliance.

Statement of Philosophy

During two decades of sustainable development and human rights work around the world, Kathryn has seen the impact that thoughtful programming, laced with a healthy dose of compassion and resolve, can have on seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  Kathryn formed The Human Rights Alliance to fill a niche in the human rights community and bring together an integrated methodology based on her prior experience and demonstrated effectiveness.

Career Highlights

Until the end of last year, Kathryn served as Director of Gender and Social Policy for Conservation International (CI), an internationally recognized non-profit, private organization dedicated to ecosystem conservation that integrates biological preservation with economic opportunity in local communities.  Kathryn was on the front lines in promoting CIís philosophy: environmental, economic and social changes are fundamentally integrated, and by helping local communities address a wide range of challenges-- conservation-based development, population issues, appropriate energy use, and protection of the rights of women, children and indigenous peoples--enlightened public policy and community advancement go hand in hand.  She pioneered programs that linked gender, social dynamics and community based development.  Additionally, she was one of the first to recognize and act on the relationships between indigenous people, environment and human rights.
 Trained as an applied anthropologist, and with an extensive background of political activisms , Kathrynís unique insights and tireless energies have distinguished her career.  Prior to her work at Conservation International, she served in various capacities in the Reagan and Bush Administrations.  As Special Assistant for International Affairs to the Secretary of Energy, she negotiated international agreements for the exchange of energy research and development and was also responsible for emergency preparedness programs.  In this capacity, Kathryn worked with the National Security Council on issues relating to NATO.