Who We Are

The Henry Dearborn Institute for Human Rights (HDI) is a nonpartisan research association focusing on local, state, national, and international policy issues and the defense and advancement of important values related to human rights and freedom. Justin Haskins, a New York Times bestselling author and the co-director of the Socialism Research Center at The Heartland Institute, founded HDI in 2018.

HDI’s mission is to develop and promote policies and defend the ideals of personal responsibility, individual liberty, religious freedom, education reform, market freedom, responsible but fair immigration, international peace, fiscal restraint, and virtue (as it has been traditionally understood in the Western tradition). HDI is also dedicated to limiting the power of large corporations, financial institutions, and central banks, as well as advocating for policies that ensure America is, to the maximum extent possible, free from racism, gender discrimination, and other forms of bigotry.

HDI aims to promote these policies and ideas in the public arena by publishing articles, conducting research, and producing various forms of multimedia, including podcasts and videos.

HDI is primarily composed of individual scholars and professionals who work toward accomplishing HDI’s mission for little or no money. (Please note that not everyone who works with HDI is listed on our website.)

HDI is a passion project for those involved, not a money-making endeavor. The Henry Dearborn Institute for Human Rights does not accept donations at this time, and thus is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

If you’re interested in learning more about The Henry Dearborn Institute for Human Rights, you can contact HDI’s director, Justin Haskins, at [email protected]

PHOTO: “Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor,” by William Halsall, 1882 at Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. Photo provided by Alonso de Mendoza through Wikimedia Commons.