Executive Advisory Council

Seelai Karzai

Human Rights First

Seelai Karzai is the Afghanistan Advocacy Campaign Manager at Human Rights First. Seelai coordinates communications strategies and digital advocacy campaigns to advance several objectives, including introduction and passage of pro-refugee and resettlement federal legislation and continued relocations and safe passage of flights for vulnerable Afghans left behind. She serves on the Evacuate Our Allies (EOA) Coalition Steering Committee and on Human Rights First's inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council.

Prior to joining Human Rights First, Seelai supported medical students and diversity programming at the Geisel School of Medicine while assisting in the evacuation efforts of vulnerable artists, writers, and cultural workers from Afghanistan after the US withdrawal in August 2021. She is a member of the Afghan American Artists and Writers Association (AAAWA), an artist collective whose mission is to critically analyze US discourse on Afghanistan and showcase diasporic artworks to diverse audiences through public exhibits.

Seelai earned a Masters in Fine Arts degree in Poetry from the University of Oregon and an MTS degree in Women, Gender, Sexuality, and Religion from Harvard University.