Martha Thompson

Martha Thompson is manager of UUSC's Rights in Humanitarian Crises Program. Under her direction, UUSC responds strategically to disaster situations where human rights are threatened, focusing on the rights of those who are already marginalized in society or are neglected by traditional relief strategies. She has facilitated UUSC's response to numerous natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies caused by war and conflict.

"The people I have been privileged to work with have taught me the importance of placing those whose rights are being affected at the center of the response to the crisis," she says. "Our human-rights work has to support their participation, their voices, and their ability to act."

Prior to joining UUSC in 2005, Thompson lived and worked in Latin America with both national and international nongovernmental organizations for 18 years, principally in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala with populations involved in armed conflict and persons living in refugee camps. She worked in Cuba for four years, developing Oxfam Canada's program there. Her experience includes work on repatriation, gender and conflict, public health, disaster response, and community participation. With a master's degree in public health, Thompson has taught on the subjects of aid and gender in conflict situations at both Tufts and Brandeis Universities in Massachusetts. She has also published extensively on gender in conflicts, work in conflict situations, and disaster preparedness and response.