International Coalition of Sites of Conscience

International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Past to Present, Memory to Action www.sitesofconscience.org For more information, visit www.sitesofconscience.org and www.gijtr.org.

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) is a global network of historic sites, museums, and memory initiatives that preserve the past to fight for truth and justice today. Founded in 1999, we now have over 350 members in more than 65 countries, who we support through training, networking, grants, and advocacy. In 2014, we expanded our impact by founding the Global Initiative for

Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR), which works specifically in conflict and post-conflict settings to amplify the voices of survivors and inspire collective action in countries struggling to confront human rights violations.

In honor of World Refugee Day, ICSC presents a carousel tracing the history and enduring relevance of the 1951 Refugee C...
06/20/2026

In honor of World Refugee Day, ICSC presents a carousel tracing the history and enduring relevance of the 1951 Refugee Convention, through objects and stories from collections across our Migration Museums Network (MMN), representing perspectives from around the world.

From a Nansen passport in Argentina to a Lampedusa boat in Italy, from Angel Island poems in the United States to personal testimonies, documents, and belongings preserved in Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Australia, and beyond, each object or story reflects a lived experience of displacement and the search for safety.

Thanks to participating members
Emigracji w Gdyni
Auswandererhaus Bremerhaven
Canadian Museum of Immigration / Musée canadien de l'immigration
Muntref - Museos de la Universidad Nacional Tres de Febrero
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
Migration Museum
Galata Museo del Mare - Genova
Arab American National Museum
Migration Museum
Museum Migration BXL

Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of S*xual Violence in Conflict, we share stories that are too often ...
06/19/2026

Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of S*xual Violence in Conflict, we share stories that are too often left unheard.

Devini, a survivor of conflict-related s*xual violence from Jaffna, Sri Lanka, carries the unbearable, yet often unseen, weight of war. From her childhood in an IDP camp to her adulthood as a s*x worker, her words, documented in Radhika Hettiarachchi's "Women’s Histories of S*x Work" project, offer a powerful invitation to act:

"How many have suffered like this? This wasn't just getting caught in the crossfire. They knew what they were doing… I'm speaking about the young women, who need a safer space for this work. Even if it isn't allowed, it still happens. Why not make it a safer place where they can make a dignified living?"

Her testimony reminds us that justice for s*x workers who worked during conflict, and for many others who have survived conflict-related s*xual violence, requires three things from all of us: listening without judgement, building meaningful solidarity that recognises s*x work as work deserving of protection, and challenging the stigma and criminalisation that prevent so many women from seeking justice. It also reminds us that, even as progress has been made in recognising CRSV, important gaps remain. Definitions of CRSV should be expanded to include experiences of consensual and transactional s*x in situations of unequal power, such as conflict, which too often fall outside existing pathways to justice.

The conditions that expose women and girls to violence during conflict do not disappear when wars end. Their impact endures, deep, far-reaching, and too often left unacknowledged.

Read more of Radhika Hettiarachchi's work documenting women's experiences through her projects "Herstories" and "Women’s Histories of S*x Work", her book "We Are Present: Women's Histories of Conflict, Courage and Survival", and the article "When the Devil Drums, We Dance: S*x Work and S*xual Violence in Wartime Sri Lanka".

What role can U.S. courts play in addressing international human rights violations?When individuals affected by atrociti...
06/17/2026

What role can U.S. courts play in addressing international human rights violations?

When individuals affected by atrocities and those alleged to be responsible reside in the United States, lawyers and civil society organizations have used a range of legal avenues—from criminal prosecution to civil litigation—to seek accountability. These efforts often require cooperation among civil society organizations, affected communities, and government actors.

Join us for a conversation with Ela Matthews (Center for Justice and Accountability), Fatou Baldeh (Women in Liberation and Leadership – WILL), and Obada Mzaik, Syrian activist and CJA client, as they reflect on the opportunities and challenges of pursuing accountability through U.S. courts and what these efforts mean for transitional justice.

📅 June 24
🔗 Registration is now open via
https://tinyurl.com/Hive-Mind-4

This Hive Mind session includes simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.

The European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA) 2026 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony took place in Bilbao from 10–14...
06/16/2026

The European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA) 2026 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony took place in Bilbao from 10–14 June, gathering museums across Europe to reflect on how museum practice is evolving under the theme “Disrupting the Museum: Access and Participation.”

Organized by the European Museum Forum and hosted by Euskararen Etxea and its Basque Language Interpretation Centre, the programme brought together past nominees, award recipients, partners, and this year’s participating museums.

Representing ICSC at the event, Silvia Fernández engaged with colleagues and partner institutions throughout the programme. The conversations prompted reflection on the evolving social role of museums, not only as custodians of heritage, but as spaces that can foster inclusion, empathy, trust, and dialogue. They also raised important questions about whose voices shape the narratives, and how museums can undertake the internal transformation needed to support more inclusive and participatory practices.

Congratulations to this year's winners! To see the full list, please visit: https://www.emya2026winners.europeanforum.museum/

Image credit: Hodei Torres for EMYA 2026

Three engaging conversations are coming up in our Hive Mind series.📅 June 17 – Public Memory Policies in Latin America a...
06/15/2026

Three engaging conversations are coming up in our Hive Mind series.

📅 June 17 – Public Memory Policies in Latin America and Spain with Verónica Torras (Memoria Abierta, Argentina) and Alfons Aragoneses (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain).

📅 June 24 – Pursuing Accountability in U.S. Courts: Opportunities and Challenges in Transitional Justice.

📅 July 8 – Supporting Sustainable Peace: Funding for Transitional Justice.

Join practitioners, advocates, and experts from around the world as we explore some of the most pressing issues facing memory, justice, and accountability efforts today.

Registration is required for all events. HiveMind sessions include simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.

Visit the link below or our website for more information and to register:
https://tinyurl.com/Hive-Mind-Series

Reliable information matters.In 2025, a record 129 journalists were killed worldwide—the highest number documented by th...
06/11/2026

Reliable information matters.

In 2025, a record 129 journalists were killed worldwide—the highest number documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists since 1992.

In Serbia, YIHR Srbija and 26 partner organizations have raised concerns about reports of a potential sale involving major independent media outlets within the Adria News Network (ANN). They warn that the move could further limit independent journalism and public access to trusted information.

For those working to preserve memory, document lived experiences, and strengthen public dialogue, independent reporting is vital.

Learn more. Share widely. Support access to information and the people who work to keep the public informed.

Images via and

From 6 founding institutions to nearly 400 members in more than 65 countries, the Sites of Conscience movement continues...
06/10/2026

From 6 founding institutions to nearly 400 members in more than 65 countries, the Sites of Conscience movement continues to connect memory with action.

Join speakers from Sri Lanka, the United States, and Turkey as they discuss what it means to uphold the mission of Sites of Conscience in a rapidly changing world.

What can we learn from one another across different contexts? How can places of memory help foster dialogue, understanding, and participation in public life?

📅 June 29
🕘 9:00 AM EST

Registration is open now via: https://tinyurl.com/SoC-changing-world
Presented in partnership with the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH)

Here are a few takeaways from the engaging conversation we hosted on artificial intelligence and transitional justice as...
06/09/2026

Here are a few takeaways from the engaging conversation we hosted on artificial intelligence and transitional justice as part of our Hive Mind Series.

The discussion explored the possibilities and challenges that emerging technologies present for documentation, analysis, access to information, memory initiatives, and accountability efforts.

Swipe through to discover some of the ideas shared by our speakers: Danna Ingleton (HURIDOCS, Great Britain), Tin Geber (Draftlab, Netherlands), and Predrag Miletić (Team for Egalitarian Emancipation and Transformation – TEGET, Serbia).

And don't forget to register for upcoming Hive Mind sessions. Join us on Wednesday, June 17, at 9:00 AM EDT for Public Memory Policies in Latin America and Spain.

Registration is now open:
https://tinyurl.com/Hive-Mind-Series

Join us on Wednesday, June 17 for a conversation with Verónica Torras, Executive Director of Memoria Abierta (Argentina)...
06/04/2026

Join us on Wednesday, June 17 for a conversation with Verónica Torras, Executive Director of Memoria Abierta (Argentina), and Alfons Aragoneses, Associate Professor of Legal History at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain), as they reflect on public memory policies, advocacy efforts, legislative advances, and the challenges facing memory agendas today.

Drawing on experiences from Latin America and Spain, this webinar will explore lessons learned, ongoing tensions, and strategies for advancing memory work in changing political contexts.

This session will be conducted in Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation into English, French, and Arabic.

This is the third session of our "Hive Mind" series. Missed the first two sessions? Recordings are available now.

tinyurl.com/Hive-Mind-Series

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Acompáñenos el miércoles 17 de junio para una conversación con Verónica Torras, Directora Ejecutiva de Memoria Abierta (Argentina), y Alfons Aragoneses, Profesor Asociado de Historia del Derecho en la Universitat Pompeu Fabra (España), quienes reflexionarán sobre las políticas de memoria, los esfuerzos de incidencia, los avances legislativos y los desafíos que enfrentan estas agendas en la actualidad.

A partir de experiencias de América Latina y España, este seminario web explorará aprendizajes, tensiones y estrategias para fortalecer el trabajo de memoria en contextos políticos cambiantes.

Esta sesión será la tercera de nuestra serie "Mente Colmena (Hive Mind). La inscripción ya está abierta a través del enlace de abajo. Si se perdió las dos primeras sesiones, las grabaciones ya están disponibles.

Esta sesión se llevará a cabo en español, con interpretación simultánea al inglés, francés y árabe.

https://tinyurl.com/Hive-Mind-Series

06/03/2026

Through the quiet courage of ordinary people and the collective power of communities, we work to preserve truth, safeguard democracy, and confront injustice.

Learn more about our approach via sitesofconscience.org

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