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Organized By : Impunity Watch

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Syrian revolution, the Association of Detainees and Missing Persons in Sednaya Prison, the Caesar Families Association, the Coalition of Families of Persons Kidnapped by ISIS (Massar), Families for Freedom and Ta’afi cordially invite you to a public side-event to the Brussels V conference on "Supporting the future of Syria and the region."

On 10 February 2021, five Syrian victim groups launched the Truth and Justice Charter, which generated significant interest from policymakers, the media, and the Syrian and international civil society. These same victim organisations are organising this side-event to present their vision and demands for truth and justice in Syria and make practical recommendations for policy action to realise this vision.

This side-event provides an opportunity for representatives of international organisations and states participating in the conference to consult directly with victim groups on the issue of enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention in Syria in order to take tangible steps to achieve the commitments made during earlier Brussels conferences.

Presentations by:
- Ahmad Helmi, Ta'afi Initiative
- Maryam Alhallak, Caesar Families Association

Respondents:
- Catherine Marchi-Uhel, International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) – Syria
- Representative of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria
- Gregory Galligan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada
- Marieke Wierda, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
- Representative of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
- Cristian Rivier, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
-Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – Syria

The event will take place on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 11 am EST / 4 pm GMT+1. This side event is hosted by Impunity Watch and PAX.

To register click here. 

Online

Organized By : Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

The systematic destruction of cultural heritage often aims at demolishing a targeted group’s history and symbols, undermining their cultural continuity, and may pose an existential threat to their survival.

During the genocide against the Yazidis in 2014, at least 68 significant Yazidi cultural sites were systematically destroyed by the armed extremist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as part of their campaign to eradicate the Yazidi presence in northern Iraq. In China the authorities have destroyed Uyghur cultural heritage - including shrines, cemeteries and pilgrimage sites - as part of their ongoing and systematic persecution of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. Approximately 16,000 mosques, 65 percent of the total in Xinjiang, have been destroyed or damaged as a result of government policies.

This virtual event will explore the connection between the destruction of cultural heritage and commission of mass atrocities and will examine actions the international community can take to protect vulnerable populations. The event will be realized on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 11 am EST / 4 pm GMT+1. 

To register click here. 

Online

Organized By : Impunity Watch

Impunity Watch, PEL – Civil Waves and PAX invite you to an online side event to the Brussels V Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region,” at 15.00 CET on Thursday 18 March 2021:

Affected communities speak out: For peace and justice tomorrow, address property rights today

There is growing recognition among Syrians and the international community that unaddressed challenges to property rights and the impediments they pose to the return of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) have become major obstacles to peace and justice in Syria. In 2020, the Brussels IV Conference co-chairs called for “respect for housing, land and property rights, including notably for women, [and] further stressed that housing, land and property rights and their restitution are a core factor for the rebuilding of Syrian society. These are a cornerstone for ensuring society’s stability and enabling Syrians to plan for a future life together in peace and dignity.”

This side event, featuring an all-Syrian panel of civil society and affected community representatives, will highlight key developments regarding HLP rights violations in Syria since Brussels IV, give a forum for the experiences and demands of communities targeted or disproportionately affected by HLP rights violations, and make practical recommendations to conference delegates to address past and ongoing HLP rights violations and prevent further abuses occurring.

Please RSVP here by 5pm CET on Wednesday, 17 March 2021. Prior registration is required to attend. Joining instructions will follow via email. 

Speakers:

- Abdullah al-Khatib, Palestinian-Syrian activist and social researcher based in Germany. Co-founder of the Watad Center of Training and Development in southern Damascus and Sard.

- Ferhad Ahma, Kurdish-Syrian activist and translator based in Germany. He worked previously in the media and the synchronization of documentaries. He is co-founder and director of PÊL - Civil Waves, a civic organization promoting social cohesion, youth and women empowerment in northeastern Syria. PÊL is also documenting violations of HLP rights in northeastern Syria. Ahma was previously an elected member of the city council in Berlin-Mitte.

- Lama Sulaiman, Palestinian-Syrian architect. Based in Germany and currently pursuing her master’s degree in urban planning at the Technical University of Stuttgart, with focus on utilizing urban planning for peace making in the post conflict in Syria.

The event will be moderated by Sawsan Abou Zainedin, Syrian architect and urban development practitioner whose work tackles the impact of urban processes and reconstruction efforts on social justice, social cohesion, and good governance.

Online

Organized By : Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention

Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the newly appointed United Nations Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, joins us for a conversation about her long career in atrocity prevention and her vision for the Office of the Special Adviser during her mandate.

March 17, 2021 | 10:00 AM EST

REGISTER HERE

Online

Organized By : Liberation War Museum

On the 50th anniversary of the Bangladesh Genocide, the Liberation Museum War will host a Global Virtual Conference headed "Global Virtual Conference on Commemorating Past Genocide and Learning to Prevent Atrocity Crimes" on March 12th. It is a one-day global conference in which scholars, researchers, practitioners, experts, and members from different institutions from across the world can participate for 24 hours. The Global Conference will be conducted using the Whova and Zoom platform.

The aim of this conference is to increase global understanding of genocide, including the genocide in Bangladesh. Altogether 27 countries, 77 speakers will participate in this Global Conference to commemorate the past genocides throughout 27 sessions (including documentary screening).

MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION