Monday, February 11, 2013

Rwandan Genocide Survivors Project (SSU & NSCC)


Salem State University recently opened a new Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center. The Center is the result of nearly a decade of planning on behalf of history professor Chris Mauriello and social work professor Rob McAndrews (and other dedicated university faculty). Chris told me that he expects the Center to have a physical location on campus in either 2014 or 2015. 

What this development means for NSCC faculty, staff and students: the Center will host credit courses, trips, lectures and other events for the community, and Chris and Rob are expecting to include NSCC in the development of the Center. With that in mind, NSCC faculty are participating in the Rwandan Genocide Survivors Project, which is the outcome of a four-year grant. The grant will fund the main goal of collecting the stories of men and women who survived the 1994 genocide. The Center will preserve these stories in a digital format for use by scholars, teachers and the community at large. 

In addition, the Center will host (in conjunction with NSCC), a Rwanda Culture Day (tentative title) that is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 15. 

The day will highlight Rwandan culture (dance, music, food) and will include workshops designed to provide advice for Rwandans who wish to attend NSCC or SSU. There will also be a poster/multimedia session that highlights the history of the Rwandan genocide. I hope to see may NSCC faculty, staff and students there!

I am proud to report that the following faculty members have volunteered their time to be a part of this exciting project: Jessica Burt, Kara Kaufman, Kristin Erbetta, Paul Nelson and Beth Kontos.

If you are interested in joining the planning committee for this event, or wish to know more about the new Center, feel free to email me at ldavis@northshore.edu.

Larry Davis

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