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Roundtable Discussions

The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme organizes a series of interactive roundtable discussions designed to promote awareness of the lessons of the Holocaust and their implications for combating genocide today.  By examining best practices to fight hatred, racism and Holocaust denial, the discussions aimed to mobilize civil society and the international community to help prevent mass violence. 

 

"Cambodia: A Quest for Justice"
Film Screening and Panel Discussion
(30 May 2012)


From 1975 until 1979, Cambodia was ruled by communist ideologist Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, who came to power after overthrowing the Government. His vision was to create a classless utopian society and return Cambodia to its agrarian roots. In the process, he would cleanse the country of all minorities, intellects and those deemed unfaithful to the regime. Almost 2 million Cambodians perished during his reign. The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme partnered with the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance New York to examine the issues that led to mass murder during the PolPot regime in Cambodia and current efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. The film screening and round table discussion took place on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 at the Museum.

Distinguished panellists included Andi Gitow and Susan Farkas, co-producers of the film Cambodia: A Quest of Justice; Stephen Mathias, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs; Professor Alex Hinton, Executive Director for the Study of Genocide, Conflict Resolution and Human Rights at Rutgers University; Socheata Poeuv, founder and CEO of Khmer Legacies. 

Maher Nasser, Acting Head, United Nations Department of Public Information, opened the event. Andi Gitow and Susan Farkas presented thier Emmy-nominated United Nations documentary. Through the personal stories of two individuals who survived imprisonment in Tuol Slengprison, or S-21, the film chronicles the suffering of the prisoners and covers the trial of former prison head Kaing Guek Eav, commonly known as Duch. He was the first Khmer Rouge leader to be tried by the United Nations-backed international tribunal. In July 2010, judges found Duch responsible for the death of 12,272 lives and sentenced him to 35 years in prison. On 3 February 2012, after hearing Duch’s appeal, the court sentenced him to life in prison. Other Khmer Rouge leaders have yet to be tried.

After the film screening Mark Weitzman, Director of Government Affairs and the Director of the Task Force against Hate and Terrorism for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, introduced the panellists and moderated the discussion.

Stephen Mathias, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, talked about the role of the United Nations in Cambodia and the progress being made in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

Professor Alex Hinton, an anthropologist and expert on Cambodia, gave valuable insight into the culture of the country and an understanding of the difficulties that Cambodians are facing in the aftermath of Khmer Rouge regime.

Socheata Poeuv shared her personal story as a child survivor and explained how that experience pushed her to start Khmer Legacies, a project in which children interview their parents about surviving the Cambodian genocide. She talked about the challenges that survivors and their families are facing today. In Cambodian schools students are often not taught about this part of the history and some in younger generation grow up believing that genocide never happened. 

Panellists’ presentations followed by a lively discussion with the audience. The film Cambodia: A Quest for Justice is available online.

Press Release: United Nations, Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance New York Discuss Justice for Victims of Khmer Rouge (24 May, 2012)

 

Roundtable Discussion on Justice and Accountablility
To mark the 65th anniversary of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg
(9 November 2011)

            On 9 November, The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, in partnership with the International Bar Association, held a roundtable discussion titled “Justice and Accountability after the Holocaust”, in observance of the 65th anniversary of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. The tribunal was an important milestone in history and helped to lay the legal foundation for international tribunals that have followed, as well as the Rome Statute under which the International Criminal Court was established.

            Distinguished speakers included Cecile Aptel, Co-Chair of the International Bar Association’s War Crimes Committee and Professor at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; Irwin Cotler, Member of Parliament and former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada; Patricia Heberer, a historian with the Centre for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; and Karen Odaba Mosoti, Head of the Liaison Office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the United Nations.  Ramu Damodaran, Deputy Director for Partnerships and Public Engagement, Outreach Division, United Nations Department of Public Information, moderated the discussion. Each of the panellists offered their perspectives of the actions of the German courts under Nazi rule, and the proceedings of the Nuremberg trials.

Cecile Aptel of the International Bar Association spoke about the responsibility of the judiciary not only for the application of law, but for the development of law. She challenged participants when she asked, “What should lawyers and judges do when political systems fail and turn against citizens?”

Patricia Heberer of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum focused her remarks on the discriminatory laws that were upheld in Nazi Germany. She explained that over 400 anti-Jewish laws and exclusionary decrees were developed under Nazi rule.

            Irwin Cotler of Canada discussed similarities between the Holocaust and genocides that have followed. He underlined the dangers of state sanctioned hate, indifference, cultures of impunity, and the complicity of the elite. “Judges, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and architects all participated in the Nazi plan”, he said.

            Karen Odaba Mosoti of the ICC emphasized that Nuremberg established that men were responsible for the crimes that had been committed under Nazi rule, and not an abstract force. Individuals would be held accountable and could no longer claim they were simply “following orders”. She described the cases that were currently before the court and said they were similar to the Nuremberg crimes but in a current context. According to Ms. Mosoti, one of the major challenges facing the court today is the lack of universal participation. Only 115 countries have signed up to the Rome Statute, which leaves the populations of many countries vulnerable to the worst offences committed by mankind.

The entire discussion and question and answer session can be viewed on the United Nations webcast.

Partners Materials:
Law Justice and the Holocaust, United States Holoaust Memorial Museum

 

Interactive Dialogue
Genocide Prevention
(20 May 2011)

What does a suit-wearing, international civil servant charged with advising United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the prevention of genocide have in common with a khaki–wearing, grass roots human rights activist? A lot more than one might think, as discovered by students, teachers and NGOs at a discussion between Under- Secretary-General Francis Deng and John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project, at United Nations Headquarters on Friday 20 May 2011.

For one thing, both men believe that the concept of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) has been given new life since Member States agreed to make a historic commitment to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in 2005.


(left to right) Francis Deng, Maher Nasser and John Prendergast

Mr. Prendergast cited a number of cases that he would consider to be a successful application of the concept, including situations in the Ivsry Coast and Kenya, as well as the peaceful referendum that resulted in the independence of South Sudan.  Mr. Deng indicated that formally linking the work of the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on R2P with his own mandate through a joint office was a constructive move, given the many links between their roles and the importance of providing early warning to the Secretary-General on the risk of all four crimes, not just genocide.

Both men see governments as integral to preventing mass atrocities.  Mr. Deng works to increase understanding of the causes and the very real possibilities of genocide. He promotes the principle of “sovereignty as responsibility”, and believes that genocide can be prevented if it is understood as an extreme form of identity-related conflict, which calls for States to manage diversity constructively, promote respect for human rights, equality, inclusion and a common sense of belonging as one nation. 

Mr. Prendergast encourages action from the ground up in order to influence governments.  He believes that each individual can make a difference, especially when working in the context of social movements, such as Enough. Signing a petition demanding State action is one way. Or there is the exercising of the power of the consumer, which was effective in stemming the blood diamonds trade.  He encourages buyers to insist that manufacturers provide products with a guarantee that the elements used in their production do not come from conflict areas.      

What do they want the international community to do to help prevent mass atrocities?  Mr. Deng would like to see the mobilization of all those who have the capacity to help.  Mr. Prendergast would like more accountability measures, increased support for the International Criminal Court and more targeted action against individuals, beyond the usual sanctions imposed on offending States.

In reflecting on the Holocaust, Mr. Deng emphasized that it was crucial for us to understand the root causes behind the emergence of a Hitler. Unless we do, the evil within some of us cannot be eradicated to prevent the recurrence of genocide and other mass atrocities.  He warned that countries that have not experienced this kind of violence must learn from history, because they are not immune.  “Our failure to prevent past violence raises our awareness and determination to do better”, said Mr. Deng. Mr. Prendergast concluded that in his 25 years as a human rights activist, “I have never been as hopeful for the future of genocide prevention, whether it is action initiated as a result of popular protest against atrocities or by enlightened governments”.

The morning discussion, moderated by Mr. Maher Nasser, Director of DPI Outreach Division, was followed by a workshop for educators, led by the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme and Facing History and Ourselves.

[Download event poster]

 

71th Anniversary Observance of the Kristallnacht pogrom

Panel discussion and film screening:
“Learning about the Holocaust through Art”
(9 November 2009)

The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme organized a special event highlighting Holocaust education through the arts on 9 November 2009, in observance of the anniversary of the Kristallnacht pogrom that took place on 9 November 1939 in Germany.  

Hosted by Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, the event included the launch of the programme’s newest publication titled, “The Holocaust and the United Nations Discussion Papers Journal". The publication contains a foreword by Mr. Akasaka and nine papers drafted by experts around the world on the Holocaust and genocide prevention.  The topics include the Holocaust and its implications; Holocaust education in China; a Holocaust survivor’s memory; the Holocaust as a guidepost for genocide detection in Africa;  hatred and humanity; genocidal conflicts and the crisis of identity; the history of the Jews in Europe during the 19th and early 20th centuries and the fate of the Roma during the Holocaust. The journal, aimed at secondary school and university students, provides a forum for individual scholars representing a variety of cultures and perspectives, to raise issues for debate and further study in the classroom. 
Hilary_Helstein

Documentary film is another very effective way to narrate the history of the Holocaust. Film Director Hilary Helstein skilfully found a new way of reaching audiences by encouraging them to learn about the Holocaust through art.  Her documentary film titled “As Seen through These Eyes” was screened to a large audience in the Trusteeship Hall.

Hilary_helstein_ramu_damodaran


(Photo: Ms. Hilary Helstein presenting her film "As seen through These Eyes")

 

 

Ms. Helstein, who also wrote and produced the film, travelled the world over the past decade to compile interviews with artists who survived the Holocaust.  The documentary shows how these survivors produced an account that history could not -- a journal of the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of the artists. 

(Photo: discussion was led with Ms. Helstein by Ramu Damodaran, Deputy Director of the Outreach Division, DPI)

These artists rebelled against the Nazis and risked their lives by doing what they were forbidden to do -- create. Narrated by Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet Maya Angelou, and produced in association with the Sundance Channel, this 70-minute documentary aims to combat prejudice, bigotry and intolerance.  The words and the images of the survivor artists are profoundly moving, communicating horror and hope artistically.  For them, art was and still is a means of survival, either directly by saving their lives during the Holocaust or by helping them to endure and move forward from the unbearable past.

Fredrick Terna

 

Following the film, a lively discussion was led with Ms. Helstein by Ramu Damodaran, Deputy Director of the Outreach Division.  Fredrick Terna and Judith Goldstein, two of the artists depicted in the film, also shared their experiences. 
(Photo: Mr. Fredrick Terna, one of the artists depicted in the film took part in the discussion)

With the kind support of Ms. Helstein and Menemsha Films, the Holocaust programme distributed the documentary for screenings that were held by the United Nations Associations of New York and Israel as well as by United Nations information centres in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Colombia, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Peru, Romania, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, South Africa and Zambia. 

United Nations to Screen Film on Holocaust Art on 9 November (2 November 2009)
Survivors' artwork explains Holocaust 'As Seen Through These Eyes'

More information about our previous Roundtable Discussions: