Release Date: April 16, 2015 This content is archived.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — To honor the memory and achievements of the internationally-known historian, human rights activist and Buffalo native Alison L. Des Forges (1942-2009), PhD, three events will take place in Buffalo on Thursday, April 23 and Friday, April 24:
For information about the events and to register for the dinner, contact Ellen Dussourd (716-645-2258, dussourd@buffalo.edu) or Shaun Irlam (716-359-2222, irlam@buffalo.edu).
The two-day program, titled “Islam, Islamism, and Human Rights in Africa,” is sponsored by the Alison L. Des Forges Memorial Committee, along with the UB Department of History, Department of Political Science, Humanities Institute and Office of the Vice Provost for International Education.
“In an effort to address issues of intense public concern, these events will explore in depth the recent rise of violent extremist groups in Africa,” said Dussourd, co-chair of the Alison L. Des Forges Memorial Committee. “In so doing, we will go beyond sensational media headlines to the historical roots of this phenomenon as we examine groups such as Boko Haram, Seleka and Al-Shabaab.”
One of the world’s leading experts on the Rwandan genocide, Des Forges was senior adviser to the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch at the time of her death in 2009 in the crash of Continental flight 3407 in Clarence Center.
She was an adjunct member of the UB history faculty during the 1990s and received an honorary doctorate from SUNY during UB’s 155th general commencement ceremony in 2001.
Her book, “Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda,” is a landmark account of that event, and her tireless efforts to awaken the international community to the horrors of the genocide earned her much recognition, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 1999.
The April 23 symposium will feature six speakers addressing three topics: “The Interplay of Politics and Religion,” “The Interplay of Terrorism and Modernity,” and “Focus on Human Rights.”
Presentations will include:
At the community roundtable on April 24, Hall, Klein and Mbah will briefly summarize their symposium talks, and then exchange reflections on the previous day’s events.
To contribute to the Alison L. Des Forges Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund at UB, visit giving.buffalo.edu/giving-options/honorary-and-memorial-gifts/alison-desforges.html.
Charlotte Hsu is a former staff writer in University Communications. To contact UB's media relations staff, email ub-news@buffalo.edu or visit our list of current university media contacts.
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