Sites of Conscience Regional Networks

To inspire coordinated citizen engagement on local human rights issues, the Coalition is developing constellations of Sites of Conscience, called Regional Networks. Led by Accredited Sites of Conscience, Regional Networks coordinate efforts to remember common histories, and to address their common legacies today. Through joint projects, workshops, one-on-one consultations, and other activities, Regional Networks build the capacity of emerging initiatives in each region, and strengthen the collective memory of past struggles for human rights.

African Sites of Conscience: Using Histories of Citizen Action to Develop Post-Colonial and Post-Conflict Democracies
This network works with sites remembering the past in the context of Southern, East-Central, and West African nations experiencing post-colonial and post-conflict transitions. Network members collaborate to present historical models of citizen participation in democratic change and use these histories to inspire dialogue and participation in future change.

Asian Sites of Conscience: Promoting Cultures of Peace and Pluralism in the Wake of Ethnic and Religious Conflict
Led by the Liberation War Museum, this network works with Sites of Conscience in Asia to use histories of both conflict and harmony to model ethnic and religious pluralism and inspire young people to become actively engaged in promoting those values.

Russian Sites of Conscience: Building an Anti-Totalitarian Culture
Led by the Gulag Museum at Perm-36, this network works with museums and historic sites in Russia to raise public awareness of the history and consequences of totalitarianism, and actively engage citizens in addressing threats to Russian democracy today.

South American Sites of Conscience: Promoting Debate through the Construction of Memory of the Recent Past
Led by Memoria Abierta, this project builds the capacity of sites remembering state terrorism in South America (with initial focus on Argentina, Chile, and Peru) to preserve the memory of what happened during these dictatorships and the consequences of these dictatorships on their societies; to use that memory to influence political culture; and to work with young people to prevent all forms of authoritarianism in future generations.