10/15/2016

Symposium on Women and Genocide to Take Place in Washington DC

Summary: On Friday October 21 and Saturday October 22, Darfur Women Action Group and partners will present the 5th Annual National Symposium on Women & Genocide in the 21st Century: The Case of Darfur. Student training and advocacy with congress will follow on Sunday October 23, and Monday October 24.

Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) will host their 5th Annual National Symposium on Women & Genocide in the 21st Century. The event will take place in Washington DC between October 21-24, 2016, and will feature a series of panels with experts on genocide, gender, and the effects of violence against women. It will also feature witnesses and survivors who will share their experiences in genocide-stricken areas such as Sudan, Rwanda, and Burma.

The event will feature outstanding speakers, among them Canadian Senator Mobina Jaffer, chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, who works to create policies to protect women and girls in situations of armed conflict. Mona Ali Khalil, a public international lawyer with 20 years of experience in projects involving peacekeeping, sanctions, disarmament and counter-terrorism in the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency. And also Carl Wilkens, the only American humanitarian worker who remained in Rwanda during the genocide in 1994, saving hundreds of lives.

The symposium will also give witnesses an opportunity to share their stories about genocide and resilience in the face of mass atrocities. Among them Eugenie Mukeshimana, who was a young adult and 8 months pregnant when genocide broke in Rwanda in 1994. She gave birth to her first child while hiding from extremist Hutu genocidaires.

Our speakers and participants will discuss effective strategies for women empowerment, accountability for genocide, effective approaches and partnerships for genocide prevention and, most importantly, the root cause of the crisis in Sudan and the necessary measures to resolve these issues.

Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) is a women-led anti-atrocities nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, founded in 2009 by a Darfuri genocide survivor. DWAG works to empower victims and survivors of the Darfur genocide, and to prevent future atrocities while promoting global peace. The symposium is being hosted in partnership with STAND, Genocide Watch, the Genocide Prevention Program at The School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Women Thrive Alliance and The Global Women’s Institute.

During the symposium, speakers, advocates and survivors will be available for media interviews.

Contact information:
Carla Ruas
Marketing & Communications
Darfur Women Action Group
E-mail: communication@darfurwomenaction.org