UCL IIGC/IHR: "Action to End Genocide"

UCL INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS LECTURE
hosted in conjunction with the
UCL Intercultural Interaction Grand Challenge

"Action to End Genocide"
Dr James Smith of the Aegis Trust

on 24 November 2009, from 6-7.30pm
followed by a reception
accompanied by an exhibition
Drawings of Genocide: Darfur through the eyes of its children

Venue: Main Lecture Theatre (lecture) & Keeton Room (exhibition/reception)
UCL Law Faculty
Bentham House, Endsleigh Gardens
London WC1H 0EG

About this lecture
James Smith will be speaking about the work of The Aegis Trust, a UK-based genocide prevention organisation, which he co-founded. Aegis undertakes research and policy advice with regard to
genocide prevention. It runs genocide education programmes and provides support for survivors and communities where genocide has happened. Based at the UK Holocaust Centre, it is responsible for the Kigali Memorial Centre, Rwanda. One focus will be on Aegis 'Protect Darfur' campaign, and members of Aegis Students will also contribute their experience.

The lecture is accompanied by an exhibition of drawings by Darfurian and Chadian children, collected by London-based NGO Article 1, which describe attacks on their villages, and which have in 2007 been accepted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague as contextual evidence  for war crimes committed.

About the exhibition
The exhibition, curated by London-based charity Article 1, is the result of a fact-finding mission to Eastern Chad that aimed to assess the humanitarian, human rights and security situation in the region. Among the testimonies they collected from Darfuri refugees and displaced Chadians were over 500 drawings made by children aged 6 to 18. The majority of the drawings describe attacks on their village by Sudanese Government forces and the Janjaweed militia; they are thus witness statements and have as such been accepted as contextual evidence of war crimes by the International Criminal Court. The exhibition thus presents what is happening in Darfur based on the experiences of Darfuris themselves, therefore incorporating their voices, drawings and petitions within the presentation. The personal and original materials make it much possible to touch and engage people, and help people better understand and identify with what the Darfuri people are going through to this day. This event is co-hosted by the UCL Intercultural Interaction Grand Challenge and will launch with a lecture on genocide from the director of the Aegis Trust. For more information about the
exhibition, please visit: www.article1.org