Past and present staff of major global human rights and humanitarian organizations frequently describe a changing of the guard--an older generation of human rights professionals increasingly overwhelmed and intimidated by a newer, more strident, activist generation. In this example, a senior Human Rights Watch manager confesses to finding much of the current "woke" climate "absurd" - but at the same time, not willing or able to take it on.

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“I do wince sometimes at REDACTED's stuff on colonialism, and I think REDACTED is pretty woke. So I have to watch out for that. I’m torn between – and I’ve been through these phases before. I’m torn between just saying I’m too old I’m not going to be here, there’s no point … the future is clear and I’m not part of it. I’m torn between that and actually taking a stand… it depends on how much energy I have on any particular day. I’ve decided I do want to take a stand on pregnant women/people because I just think it’s absurd and I think it’s such an own goal. I’ll probably lose and make myself unpopular and maybe I’ll just give up in the middle or take fright when faced with the demons of political correctness.”

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