On November 7, 2019, the Auschwitz Institute signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Global Campus of Human Rights. The MoU provides a long-term collaborative framework for the development of activities related to anti-discrimination, transitional justice, protections of vulnerable populations, the promotion of human rights and democracy and other themes relevant to the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities. Dr. Tibi Galis, the Auschwitz Institute’s Executive Director, joined with Elisabetta Noli, the Administrative Director of Global Campus of Human Rights, for a signing ceremony at the Monastery of San Nicolò in Venice, Italy, to officially announce the partnership.
The Global Campus of Human Rights is a network of nearly one hundred universities across the globe who have joined forces for the advancement, interconnection, and coordination of key human resources and expertise in the area of human rights in all regions of the world. Global Campus initiatives involve work with stakeholders at the governmental, inter-governmental, and civil society levels. Specifically, the Global Campus network functions to strengthen regional and global dimensions of human rights and democracy through education, training, research, promotional activities, and specialized advice that contributes to sustainable peace, justice, and development.
The memorandum of understanding solidifies collaboration between the two organizations for the development of activities focusing on anti-discrimination, transitional justice, the protection of vulnerable groups, and other themes related to human rights and atrocity prevention. To provide a framework to facilitate this, the MoU lays out four key areas for cooperation:
- The development of strategies to research, teach, and train on conflict and peace building and the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities, as well as the promotion of this work in accordance with the relevant procedures and legal instruments;
- The development of synergies on human rights, non-discrimination and gender equality, peace, tolerance, intercultural dialogue and any other relevant field, in order to design and implement joint research and educational initiatives;
- Collaboration opportunities within the context of future and ongoing activities of the seven Regional Masters, which compose the integrated framework of the Global Campus, as well as within Global Campus Joint Activities and activities developed at the Global Campus Headquarters in Venice, as the Venice School of Human Rights, the training series, activities relating to Arts and Human Rights;
- The implementation of associated programs, sharing of skills and expertise between students and alumni, scholars and experts, staff resources, including the production of learning resources and exchange of information.
According to Dr. Galis:
This Memorandum of Understanding represents a great opportunity for our two organizations, which share many conceptual, thematic, and methodological approaches, to unite in the promotion of human rights and the prevention of mass atrocities through research and education. Alongside the Global Campus of Human Rights, we look forward to the important initiatives and resources that will be produced as a result of this partnership to the benefit of vulnerable populations around the world.