Head of UNESCO Chair on Education and Prevention of Genocide and Other Atrocity Crimes participates in international conference

Suren Manukyan delivered a report titled "Academic Research: What Are the Priorities of Genocide Studies Today?" touching upon global trends and gaps in the field of genocide studies.

In the framework of the event, a meeting was held with the heads of UNESCO's chairs on genocide from around the world. Among the participants were Alex Hinton and Nela Navarro, representatives of the UNESCO Chair of Genocide Prevention at Rutgers University of New Jersey; lecturer Alyaa Abdulhussein Naser Al Shammari from the UNESCO Chair for the Prevention of Genocide Studies in the Islamic World at the University of Baghdad; Lena Casiez, Director of the Center for Education, Culture and Research at the UNESCO Chair "Education for Citizenship, Human Sciences and Convergence of Memories" at the Aix-Marseille University and the Camp des Milles Foundation; and Rob Williams, Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation and the UNESCO Chair on Antisemitism and Genocide Research.

The representatives of future chairs were also invited: Doyle Stevick from the University of South Carolina (USA), Subarno Chattarji from the University of Delhi (India), Yael Siman from Iberoamerican University (Mexico), and Ruth-Anne Lenga from University College London (UK). The meeting was also attended by Karel Fracapane, Programme Specialist at the Global Citizenship and Peace Education Section.

Many issues related to genocide and genocide studies were discussed during the conference.            

Participants had the opportunity to meet with experts in international awareness and genocide prevention at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, followed by a visit to the museum.

The conference discussions will be published as a joint collection. The latter will outline the initiatives of the chairs around the world and will propose new avenues for cooperation in genocide education and prevention.  

It is planned to create a network of UNESCO Chairs on genocide studies, with the UNESCO Chair on Education and Prevention of Genocide and Other Atrocity Crimes at YSU IAS set to become a member. 

Meetings and conversations among UNESCO representatives clearly underscore the organization's commitment to establishing UNESCO Chairs. UNESCO emphasizes the crucial role of scientific and educational institutions in condemning and preventing genocides. 

75 years after the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, the world has witnessed numerous episodes of similar crimes. Despite the development of various genocide prevention measures, the risk of genocide remains alarmingly high in several countries and regions today.

Despite international laws in place, completely eradicating such crimes remains difficult. Recognizing the impossibility of eradicating genocide, this crucial conference offers an opportunity to reassess the advancements made in preventing and punishing genocidal acts.