Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide

01/09/2024

“We’re trying to keep momentum going and keep a focus on the plight of people at risk of atrocities across , and doing what we can to make sure that that policy conversations can continue to take that with the utmost seriousness.” Simon-Skjodt Center policy director Andrea Gittleman joins the "Echoes of Genocide" podcast hosted by Insight Myanmar Podcast.

A museum about history’s past horrors highlights the ongoing human rights violations of Myanmar’s military regime

10/12/2023

10/10/2023

Museum Statement on Attack on Israel

08/25/2023

Today marks six years since genocide was committed against the Rohingya—an ethnic and religious minority group in Burma. We solemnly remember those who were killed and recognize the enduring trauma that continues to plague victims and survivors.

During the genocide, the Burmese military massacred men, women, and children. They destroyed homes, schools, and mosques. The following testimonies are from some of those who managed to escape. Their eyewitness accounts share what happened in the moments leading up to the horrific violence, and the atrocities they will never forget. They also reflect on what life was like before the attacks, and how decades of persecution took away their rights little by little, paving the way for genocide.

These stories show what Rohingya lives were once like and how decades of persecution culminated in genocide.

08/24/2023

Six years after the Burmese military committed genocide against the Rohingya, civilians in Burma remain at risk.

Watch our recent event featuring Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, and civil society leaders Myra Dahgaypaw, Gum San Nsang, Wai Wai Nu, and Rosalinn Zahau to learn more about current threats, challenges, and the way forward to protect civilians, prevent future crimes, and seek justice.

08/24/2023

ENGLISH Session - Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day

🗓️ August 25, 2023
🕣 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm (Myanmar Standard Time)
🕙 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time)

🎙️ Government officials and diplomats will speak.

🔗 Zoom registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QGqRYuBRS0qy262AlTgbZQ

08/12/2023

Civilians in have again been the victims of mass atrocities and remain at risk of further crimes.

Today, we hosted Ambassador John Godfrey and experts from the US government and civil society to discuss efforts to document these crimes and protect civilians—an important step toward accountability.

Honored to meet today at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with experts and activists documenting and confronting atrocities in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan, with the aim of promoting accountability and preventing further atrocities and affronts to human dignity. The fighting must stop.

08/03/2023

Today we commemorate the 9 year anniversary of the genocide against the Yezidi people in Iraq by ISIS. Amid these horrific atrocities, Archbishop Najeeb Michaeel worked to safeguard human life and preserve centuries of culture.

Just before the arrival of ISIS in August 2014, Archbishop Michaeel demonstrated remarkable courage and resourcefulness. Recognizing the immense cultural and historical value at stake, he rescued over a thousand rare manuscripts spanning from the 13th to 19th centuries. With quick thinking, he loaded these precious texts into his car, ensuring their preservation.

He meticulously created digital copies of thousands of manuscripts. Among the rescued manuscripts were Christian, Muslim, and Jewish texts written in various languages such as Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, and Hebrew.

Then, as ISIS descended on Iraq, he helped evacuate targeted religious and ethnic communities to safety.

Archbishop Michaeel's efforts are a testament to the power of human resilience and determination in the face of violence and destruction.

📷 : Archbishop Michaeel shows the rescued manuscripts to Simon-Skjodt Center director Naomi Kikoler on a recent trip to Iraq.

06/30/2023

A year ago, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the official finding that the Burmese military had committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya. In 2021, that same military seized power in a coup and since then has cracked down on civilians across the country. Those who razed Rohingya villages and r***d and murdered civilians have not been held accountable.

The situation is now perilous for communities across Burma as the military doubles down on repressive tactics. How can the international community mitigate the risks civilians face, prevent future mass atrocities, and promote justice? This discussion brought together Burmese civil society leaders and senior international policymakers at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Panel
Myra Dahgaypaw, Senior Partnership Officer for International Justice and Accountability, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Wai Wai Nu, Founder and Executive Director, Women’s Peace Network
Gum San Nsang, President, Kachin Alliance
Rosalinn Zahau, Advocacy Team Member, Chin Human Rights Organization

Moderator
Andrea Gittleman, Policy Director, Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, US Holocaust Memorial Museum

Introduction
Naomi Kikoler, Director, Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, US Holocaust Memorial Museum

Remarks
Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar