C. Dixon Osburn

C. Dixon Osburn is the Executive Director of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, US, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and human rights against the threats to public safety and national security being amplified online.

Dixon has served in non-governmental organizations for three decades addressing diverse issues in domestic and international human rights, security and democracy. He co-founded Servicemembers Legal Defense Network that led the successful effort to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." At Human Rights First, he directed its Law & Security program, leading efforts to close Guantánamo, end torture, and regulate drones. As Executive Director at the Center for Justice and Accountability, Dixon led efforts to hold accountable international war criminals, including the Syrian regime and Khmer Rouge.

Dixon is the author of Mission Possible: The Story of Repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He was a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center and currently serves as an HFX Fellow with the Halifax International Security Forum. Dixon received his JD/MBA from Georgetown University and his AB with distinction from Stanford University. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his spouse, JR.