Sites of conscience promote justice

Vancouver – Memorials established in places of past violent conflicts can harness the power of memory to promote contemporary social justice, Elizabeth Silkes told those attending the “Sharing Truth” conference in Vancouver. Silkes is the executive director of the New York-based International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. This worldwide network of historic locales was formed in 1999.”Our aim is to change the role of historic sites and museums from places of passive learning to places of transformation in order to build a lasting culture of human rights,” said Silkes. To this end, the coalition provides direct funding to sites for civic engagement, teaching programs, peer learning exchanges, mentorship and international conferences. It also publishes case studies and policy briefs. Fostering dialogue on pressing social issues and promoting humanitarian and democratic values are primary functions. “We currently promote online dialogue in four languages,” Silkes said. ΩFor more information or to join the coalition, go to www.sitesofconscience.org