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THE INTERNATIONAL YOUNG LEADERS FORUM
The Global Conference on the Prevention of Genocide was preceded by a
four-day event that brought together 36 young people from 23 countries
C O N F E R E N C E S A N D E V E N T S
A U D R E Y B O C T O R A N D W I L L P A T E R S O N
As recent graduates, we were thrilled to return to McGill to take part in the
Forum. The four days spent in interactive workshops on topics ranging
from the Psychology of Mass Violence to Civil and Armed Resistance were both moving and challenging.
However, what we will remember most are the 34 other Echenberg Conference Fellows, whose determination
and dedication to the field of human rights humbled and inspired us. Denise from Rwanda runs an
organization called CINEDUC that presents films to young people in order to engage them in dialogue about
reconciliation. Hovig from Lebanon works for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Beirut.
Matt from the U.S. is stationed in Darfur with the U.N. Mission. Rosebell from Uganda is a journalist who
focuses on international crime. The list goes on.
After such an intense four days, our expectations for the main conference were soaring and we were not
disappointed. Words cannot describe the conference opening session. There, survivors of the Rwandan
genocide, the Holocaust and the Cambodian killing fields told their stories to a packed, silent auditorium.
Senator Roméo Dallaire, Sir Shridath Ramphal and Wole Soyinka commented and responded. These stories
and responses set the stage for the stimulating and unforgettable conference that followed.
1. Un panel spécial dans le
superbe amphithéatre
Redpath sous la thématique
« Face à l’histoire et
à nous-mêmes : Que serait
un monde sans génocide? »,
avec une liaison vidéo avec
le Centre commémoratif
de Kigali au Rwanda.
2. Mark Doyle (BBC),
Colette Braekman (Le Soir),
Brian Stewart (CBC),
Roy Gutman (Newsday) and
Mary Kimani (U.N. Department
of Information) discuss
“Shaping Public Opinion:
The Role of the Media”
roundtable, chaired by
Professor Allan Thompson
(Carleton School
of Journalism)
3. Lt.-Gen. (ret)
Roméo Dallaire autographs
a copy of his book for
delegate U˘gur Ümit Üngör
(Amsterdam) on the last
day of the Conference.
4. Entre deux conférences,
trois jeunes participants
discutent et échangent
leurs impressions.
T H E P A S T Y E A R H A S B R O U G H T A W E A L T H O F C O N F E R E N C E S , W O R K S H O P S A N D
S E M I N A R S T O T H E F A C U L T Y . S U B J E C T S R A N G E D F R O M A R B I T R A T I O N , H U M A N
R I G H T S , W A R A N D T A X E S T O I N T E L L E C T U A L P R O P E R T Y , L E G A L T O L E R A N C E A N D
A B O R I G I N A L L A W . H E R E A R E B U T A F E W H I G H L I G H T S O F A N I N T E L L E C T U A L L Y
S T I M U L A T I N G Y E A R .
1
2 3
4
1 2
1. A small discussion group
tackles a theme.
2. Final day of the forum:
plenary in the Maxwell
Cohen Moot Court.
Audrey Boctor, BCL/LLB’05,
is an Associate-in-Law at
Columbia Law School, where
her graduate research focuses
on the role of criminal law in
forming community identity.
Will Paterson, BCL/LLB’06, is
currently is an associate at
Clifford Chance in London, U.K.
GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON THE
PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE
O C T O B E R 1 1 - 1 3 , 2 0 0 7
Last October, McGill’s Centre for Human Rights and
Legal Pluralism, with Gordon and Penny Echenberg,
hosted the world’s first Global Conference on the
Prevention of Genocide, which brought together
survivors, witnesses, legislators, diplomats, activists and
others whose lives have been forever changed by genocide.
It opened a dialogue with the goal of exploring means
of preventing genocidal violence, rather than focusing
on ad hoc intervention. The International Young
Leaders Forum that preceded the conference led to
the drafting of a Responsibility to Prevent declaration
by 36 young people. The Imagining the Unthinkable:
L’exposition du génocide exhibit brought together
exceptional collections of photographs, drawings and
survivor testimonials, making a powerful visual
statement on the horrors of genocide. The Conference
was made possible by generous support from the
Echenberg Family Foundation. Visit the conference
website at http://efchr.mcgill.ca for video proceedings.
FACULTY OF LAW FALL 2008 27