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James Ron
Author & Social Scientist

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James Ron, PhD, is an author and social scientist writing about the interface of political violence, accountability, and personal transformation. His writing combines social science insights with personal experience.   

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Academic Career

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James taught sociology, political science, and public affairs at Johns Hopkins University, McGill University (Canada Research Chair), Carleton University, and the University of Minnesota (Endowed Chair). His research during these years focused on political violence, human rights, humanitarian aid, international organizations, and public opinion in politically fraught contexts.

 

James has researched people and issues in 16 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America, combining in-depth interviews with large-scale surveys. 

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While in academia, James published in scholarly journals such as International Organization, International Security, International Studies Quarterly, Human Rights Quarterly, World Development, and Comparative Politics. He also authored two major scholarly books: Frontiers and Ghettos: State Violence in Serbia and Israel (University of California Press, 2003 and Taking Root: Human Rights & Public Opinion in the Global South (Oxford University Press, 2017, co-authored). â€‹

 

Check out this University of California Press blog post linking the Israel-Gaza war to James's earlier work. Click here for more information on James's academic publications.

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James is no longer affiliated with academic institutions. 

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Consulting & Applied Research

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Alongside his academic work, James consulted for the Canadian and Swiss governments, Human Rights Watch, CARE, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and others. He evaluated humanitarian and human rights programs in Mexico, Israel/Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Morocco, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.​

 

James is no longer active as a private consultant. 

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Journalism & Public Writing

 

Before his academic career, James worked as a reporter for the Associated Press during the first Palestinian uprising, an experience that profoundly shaped his approach to human rights and political violence. His essays and op-eds have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Le Monde, and other major outlets.

 

In 2013, he co-founded Open Global Rights, a multilingual human rights commentary platform supported in years past by the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations.

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Volunteering

 

In 2010, James began volunteering as a program evaluator for Life for a Child, an Australian medical charity providing insulin and other life-saving supplies to children with Type 1 diabetes in low-income countries. The cause is deeply personal: his son was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease at age two.

 

Military Service

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James was conscripted into the Israeli military just before his 18th birthday and volunteered for the country's parachute brigade. That experience shaped his subsequent career, prompting him to focus on human rights, war crimes, and political violence.

 

James's current writing explores that transition from military service to humanitarian research, reflecting on the impacts of nationalism, belonging, and moral responsibility. This work explores a journey of professional, political, and personal transformation.   â€‹

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Learn More

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CONTACT
JAMES RON

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