Across Asia, democracies are plagued by violence and instability related to religious extremism and ethnic tensions which disrupt democratic processes and open the door for oppressive regimes to exploit religious fundamentalism. Sites of Conscience provide safe spaces both to remember the past and to talk about how it impacts Asia today.
The Asian Regional Network brings together sites remembering both conflict and peace to promote ethnic and religious pluralism and democracy, especially among young people. Asian Sites of Conscience open dialogue on human rights and democracy and inspire young people to become actively engaged in promoting those values.
The members of the Asian Sites of Conscience Network come from nations including Cambodia, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka and remember different histories, from conflict to totalitarian regimes to environmental disasters.
For more information, or to become involved, please contact the Global Networks Program Director.
The Asian Regional Network recently launched two initiatives. The first is a blog series, Youth in Action, that enables members to share their experiences, best practices and strategies for engaging youth in history, activism and human rights. The Network has also developed a virtual exhibition, available below, showcasing how members connect their countries’ histories with the most pressing human rights issues facing their communities today.
