University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA
April 17, 2014

The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the Human Rights Program and the
Institute for Global Studies are hosting three days of events to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994. The events will include a
public conference (April 16th), a student conference (April 17th) and a K-12 teacher
workshop (April 19th). The objectives of the commemorative events are to promote public
understanding of what happened in Rwanda, analyze the immediate responses by the
international community, and discuss the long-term implications for international policy and
actions to prevent and respond to genocide.

The students’ conference seeks to bring together undergraduate students (preferably
advanced undergraduates) from different disciplines that are working on the Rwandan
Genocide or other episodes of genocide and mass violence. To this end, we are seeking a
broad range of papers that examine but are not limited to the following topics:
• The Rwandan Genocide: Historical and socio-political paths leading to the
genocide; the role of the international community, including the ICTR; the gacaca
courts; testimonials of survivors; public memory; etc.
• Genocide and the international community: Intervention or lack thereof in
genocides and large-scale political violence; potential responses to genocide and
mass violence; the role of neighboring countries, the UN and other countries.
• Genocide and the media: International and local media coverage of genocide; hate
media and genocide incitement; representations of mass violence and its (cognitive
and ethical) limits.
• Rape as genocide: Rape and other forms of gendered victimization during or in the
aftermath of mass violence; women-headed households; medical care; children of
rape.
• Justice and politics of reconciliation after genocide: The role and effectiveness of
judicial processes and transitional justice mechanisms such as the ICTR, truth
commissions and reparations.
• Genocide and public memory: Memorials, museums and commemoration
days/weeks; the politics of commemoration; the use of human remains in memorials
and related issues.
• Genocide and education. Teaching about genocide and mass atrocities; the
representation of genocide in history and other textbooks.

Abstracts not exceeding 250 words and a 2 page CV should be sent to Wahutu j. Siguru
Siguru@umn.edu by the 28th of February 2014. For more information, please visit the
Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies website, www.chgs.umn.edu

The organizers will provide supporting funds to defray the costs of the participants whose
paper are accepted for presentation. Out of state student presenters will be awarded up to
$500 and in state student presenters will be awarded up to $200.

The conference was made possible by funding from the Ohanessian Endowment Fund for
Justice and Peace Studies at The Minneapolis Foundation and is sponsored by The Institute
for Global Studies, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and the Human Rights
Program at the University of Minnesota.