News - Sites of Conscience

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February 11, 2026

ICSC co-organizes a Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable in Sarajevo to rethink the role of memory in preventing violence At a time of rising polarization, historical revisionism and…

November 11, 2025

Memory is my act of resistance

Memory is my act of resistance Dear Friends History has shown us that repressive regimes rise and fall but it is the individual acts of…

August 7, 2025

The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Sites of Memory (RESLAC) and the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) express deep concern over the raid on the home of the Director of the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba), in Chiapas, Mexico.

On the night of Tuesday, July 22, the home of Dora Roblero, Director of Frayba, was raided. This marks the second unauthorized entry into the…

July 24, 2025

Responding to Alligator Alcatraz: How Sites of Conscience teach us the connection between detention centers and authoritarian rule

By ICSC staff, with contributions from Japanese American National Museum and Casa Memoria José Domingo Cañas. Growing attention has been given to the opening of…

June 30, 2025

ICSC’s Commitment to Memory and Justice

In recent months, we have witnessed a troubling increase in efforts to undermine, silence, or erase memory work around the world. From the dismissal of…

April 22, 2025

Urgent Call for Action in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) is deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is…

January 23, 2025

ICSC stands in solidarity with the people of Argentina

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) stands in solidarity with the people of Argentina in condemning the alarming escalation of attacks by Javier…

January 9, 2025

ICSC Welcomes Ereshnee Naidu as Executive Director

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is thrilled to announce that Ereshnee Naidu, the former Senior Director of ICSC’s Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and…

January 8, 2025

Latest Podcast: Why Memory Matters in Palestine and Beyond

Why Memory Matters in Palestine and Beyond is a two-part initiative designed to help Sites of Conscience and their allies build a better understanding of what…

November 18, 2024

Donate Today

International Coalition of Sites of Conscience equips museums, historic sites and communities with the skills they need to combat the historical erasure and exclusion that breeds inequality and cycles of conflict.

But we need your help — more today than yesterday and more in the year ahead than we could have ever imagined. Protect the stories that matter by making a one-time or monthly donation today.

November 5, 2024

Museums Strengthen Democracy

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Awarded Grant to Strengthen Museum and Heritage Sites in Ukraine With funding from the State Department’s Ukraine Cultural…

October 29, 2024

International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Launches UNITE to Foster New Cadres of Activists

With generous support from the Ford Foundation, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) establishes a global academy that will equip human rights defenders…

August 28, 2024

Open Seat Training

RSVP Now! For twenty-five years, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience has helped museums, historic sites and other public spaces become dynamic centers for…

August 7, 2024

‘What Do I Owe Communities Back?’ How ICSC’s Partnership with Newcastle University Is Making an Impact

When Linda Norris and Chris Whitehead first met at a conference several years ago, they knew they wanted to create a partnership of some kind….

July 9, 2024

Ask the Anthropologist: Q&A with Dr. Jodi Skipper

Dr. Jodi Skipper (she/her) is a Professor of Anthropology and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi, who considers the role of historic preservation in imagining more sustainable and healthy futures for U.S. communities. In the Q&A, Dr. Skipper explains what inspired her to study anthropology, how she thinks academia can be more supportive of community work, and the fascinating research she’s recently participated in – in her own hometown.

June 20, 2024

Resource: Empowering Forcibly Displaced People to Tell Their Own Stories

Our team recently developed a new resource for societies dealing with forced displacement, to help them transition from cycles of violence to peace and acceptance.

June 19, 2024

Transitional Justice in America: A Podcast

To spark action on transitional justice in America, ICSC produced Transitional Justice in America, a six-episode podcast series that raises awareness of how these processes can help the United States correct course and foster healing.

May 25, 2024

A Global Study of Racism: 13 Risk Factors for Atrocity Crimes

This recent project, Understanding Racism as a Risk Factor in Atrocity Crimes, identifies telltale patterns and signs of how racism leads to large-scale human rights abuses and genocides.

May 16, 2024

From the Frontlines: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Ukraine

Since the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, it has become clear that Russian and pro-Russian forces have been committing widespread conflict-related sexual violence. Over the past year, our Global Initiative for Justice, Truth & Reconciliation team has worked with organizations on the ground in Ukraine to investigate and document these crimes.

May 7, 2024

#VoteWithMemory campaign

In June 2024, millions of citizens will have the opportunity to participate in the European Parliament election. Voting represents the most direct way of influencing the composition of the European institution and, therefore, the future of the region and its role in the most pressing global challenges – including escalating conflicts, the polarisation of our societies, the climate crisis, human rights violations, and persistent economic inequalities. In this context, ICSC-Europe has launched the #VoteWithMemory digital campaign. The initiative highlights the importance of learning from Europe’s historical past to better address current crises and avoid their escalation and repetition. Read the open letter and join the campaign.

May 7, 2024

Dialogue in Difficult Times

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is pleased to offer its first ever virtual dialogue training course, open to members and non-members alike. Dialogue in Difficult Times is a six-hour virtual training designed to give staff at Sites of Conscience and like-minded organizations the theoretical and practical tools they need to build dialogic conversations. The training will be held on June 4th, 5th and 6th from 2:00-4:00 PM EST each day, and will be facilitated by Stacey Garcia and Linda Norris.

April 25, 2024

Transforming Transitional Justice: A Podcast

Released in April 2024, “Transforming Transitional Justice” is a podcast from ICSC’s flagship program the Global Initiative for Justice, Truth, and Reconciliation (GIJTR) that focuses on rethinking how traditional transitional justice processes after a conflict can better serve the needs of civilians affected by periods of violence and authoritarian regimes.

Each episode focuses on common issues that post-conflict communities face, from bolstering communities abilities to search for their missing, to documenting violations, to helping victims heal from conflict-related sexual violence.

March 16, 2024

Transforming Transitional Justice

In celebration of its tenth anniversary, GIJTR hosted “Transforming Transitional Justice: Innovative Approaches for Centering Communities to Lead Post-Conflict” in Barcelona, Spain from March 18-19, 2024. The gathering brought together over 90 representatives from more than 30 countries, including GIJTR Consortium partners, local partners, survivors, policy makers, donors and civil society representatives, to reflect on GIJTR’s impact within its first ten years.

March 14, 2024

Media and Racial Justice Webinar

View the recording of our latest webinar, “What Role Should Media Play in Reckoning with Contemporary and Historical Racial Justice in the U.S.?,” proudly co-hosted with the New England Law School (Boston)’s Center for International Law and Policy, and the International Human Rights Clinic and Racial Justice Policy Counsel, Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law.

February 21, 2024

Training and Advising

For over twenty years, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience has helped museums, historic sites and other public spaces become dynamic centers for community engagement through personalized training solutions grounded in the work of thought leaders, educators and human rights advocates around the world. Supported by the time-tested methodologies of over 350 members, our interactive trainings guide your team from insight to implementation, and are designed to suit the unique experience and opportunities at your institution.

December 14, 2023

ICSC Support for Gaza Ceasefire

We invite you, Sites of Conscience around the world, to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the respect for human rights and international humanitarian law by all parties, and the provision without restriction of humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.

Sign our statement today.

December 14, 2023

Centering CRSV Survivors

On November 15-16, 2023, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC), through its Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR), convened a roundtable on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in the Hague, Netherlands. As a leader in the field of transitional justice, with extensive experience designing programs to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and their communities, ICSC was commissioned by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) to consult with survivors, survivor advocates, civil society representatives, policymakers, government representatives and donors and generate collective recommendations to bridge the existing gaps in CRSV support services to better meet survivors’ urgent and long-term needs.

December 14, 2023

Racism and the Making of Atrocities

In December 2023, ICSC’s Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation held a three-day workshop in Rio de Janeiro that convened nearly fifty policy makers, civil society representatives, academics and survivors working in the fields of transitional justice, peacebuilding and racial justice to develop a set a recommendations on addressing racism as a risk factor for atrocity crimes that can be used by states, international fora such as the United Nations, as well as civil society at local, national and international levels.

November 21, 2023

State of Truth in the World Report

On October 12, 2023, ICSC’s Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation launched its State of Truth in the World Report, an assessment of civil society’s access to truth through the lenses of memory, education and justice. The first report of its kind, written largely by local civil society actors with a diversity of lived experience and expertise, the publication offers holistic, survivor-centered analysis of the access to and protection of historical truths in 18 countries worldwide.

November 20, 2023

A Letter to ICSC Members

What we are witnessing today in Gaza is a moral failure and a humanitarian disaster that will plunge the world into deeper polarization and renewed cycles of violence.

In just over six weeks more than 12,000 thousand civilians have been killed in Gaza, including 5,000 children. Thousands are severely injured, unable to receive the medical care they need, and many more remain under rubble in need of rescue. Patients, including premature babies, are dying in hospitals where basic medical care can no longer be provided because of Israel’s blockade and attacks on hospitals. And thousands of families are desperately awaiting news of loved ones who have been missing, abducted or killed.

Additionally, approximately 1200 Israelis and over 200 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed.

November 6, 2023

GIJTR Newsletter

Subscribe to The GIJTR Report, which highlights our Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR)’s unique, victim-centered approach to transitional justice, spotlights its life-changing programs and distributes resources and methodologies with partners around the world.

October 25, 2023

Tribute to Museo Sitio de Memoria ESMA

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) would like to pay tribute to our Argentinean member Museo Sitio de Memoria ESMA, located at the Former Navy School of Mechanics site (ESMA) in Buenos Aires, as it became, on September 19, 2023, the first ever World Heritage Site to be nominated for its outstanding universal value as a Site Associated with Memories of Recent Conflicts and other negative and divisive memories.

October 24, 2023

A Reflection: Perspective and Peace in Palestine

For over two weeks, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience has followed with the utmost attention the horror unfolding in Israel and Gaza. As a global network, many of our members have devoted decades to preserving and sharing the experiences of those whose lives have been devastated by war, repression, violations and abuses. In this context, Sites of Conscience work to defend international law and ensure accountability for crimes past and present while also offering new paths for peace and understanding.

June 9, 2023

Revitalization of La Maison des Esclaves

The rehabilitation of Maison des Esclaves represents a vital step in our universal efforts to break the historical silence that has long surrounded the transatlantic slave trade, and the political, social, cultural, and economic invisibility of its victims, including those who are still suffering from its brutal legacies today.

March 28, 2023

Creating Change from Within

An Interview with Stacey Garcia Communications Assistant Kassidy Charles recently sat down with Program Manager Stacey Garcia, who is helping facilitate ICSC’s Addressing the Silences…

March 9, 2023

Correcting the Record: The Case Study of Brazil

Camila Yanzaguano Bravo, Communications Associate at the Coalition, recently spoke to Thiago Haruo Santos, Researcher at the Museum, about the experience of the museum implementing the “Correcting the Record” methodology.

February 15, 2023

Available Resources: Guns In America

Situated in “red” states and “blue” states, big cities and rural communities, Sites of Conscience and their allies are uniquely positioned to foster constructive dialogue on gun control among a wide subset of people. To support our members in this, ICSC recently hosted “Disarming America,” a webinar on how Sites of Conscience can spark productive conversations about gun control in their communities. In addition, we are pleased to share our Front Page Dialogue: Guns in America, which offers an adaptable model for engaging visitors in dialogue on the subject. Click to access both resources.

January 12, 2023

If Memory Serves…On the Uses and Abuses of Remembering

In 2023, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, is dedicating its monthly Conscience Matters webinar series to parsing out exactly how memory is best served. Each session will dive into the role memory plays in an urgent, contemporary discussion in the fields of human rights and social justice – drawing on the experiences of survivors, scholars, practitioners, and, most of all, Sites of Conscience who for over twenty years have functioned as laboratories designed to find the most effective, ethical, and equitable uses of memory.

January 12, 2023

Statement on Brazil, January 2023

The institutions that make up the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) and its Latin American and Caribbean Regional Network (RESLAC) strongly repudiate the terrorist actions that occurred last Sunday, January 8, in the city of Brasilia, when the three branches of the Brazilian state were invaded and vandalized by organized right-wing groups identified with former president Jair Bolsonaro. These actions of extreme violence, which systematically and in a coordinated maner seek to disrupt the rule of law, are the greatest threat to democracy in Brazil since its return in 1985 after 21 years of military dictatorship.

December 20, 2022

The Duty to Remember: Fighting for Truth and Justice in The Gambia

In honor of her father Saul Ndow, who was forcibly disappeared in The Gambia in 2013, Nana-Jo Ndow founded the African Network Against Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances (ANEKED), a youth-led civil society organization in 2018 to assist Gambians in healing old wounds and securing justice for victims and survivors. In this interview, she and Sirra Ndow, ANEKED’s Country Representative, speak with ICSC about the Site of Conscience’s mission and growth.

December 16, 2022

Correcting the Record: Sites of Conscience Reflect on Their Own Collections

In 2022, ICSC developed a one-of-a-kind methodology through a year-long initiative entitled “Correcting the Record.” The methodology – which will be published in a toolkit in February – provides a roadmap for Sites of Conscience and other allies to assess and recalibrate their repositories in order to offer more inclusive historical narratives and expand their impact building more equitable, just, and resilient societies. Communications Assistant Kassidy Charles recently talked with Silvia Fernández, ICSC’s Global Networks Program Director, to learn more about the project.

December 15, 2022

Explore Our Impact

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is pleased to release our 2022 Impact Report, which explores how Sites of Conscience the world over are preserving and amplifying memory, how memory is catalyzing truth-telling, and how truth-telling is leading to accountability and justice.

December 14, 2022

History in Conversation: Youth and Atrocity Prevention

Our Global Initiative for Justice, Truth, and Reconciliation (GIJTR) hosted a three-day Youth and Atrocity Prevention roundtable in early November 2022 in Bali. The event equipped seven youth activists from from Indonesia, the Balkans, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Philippines with the skills to establish grassroots and early response strategies for atrocity prevention.

November 17, 2022

Correcting the Record Virtual Global Workshop

As part of the Coalition’s 2022 global initiative, Correcting the Record: Building Inclusive, Equitable, and Engaged Societies One Narrative at a Time, the Coalition hosted a two-day virtual global workshop on November 29-30, 2022.

November 17, 2022

Project Support Fund 2023

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is pleased to announce that applications for its 2023 Project Support Fund are now being accepted, with the consultation period from November 15, 2022, until January 15, 2023 and final submissions due on February 15, 2023.

October 4, 2022

Reclaiming Shingwauk Hall

The Coalition’s Kassidy Charles recently talked with Krista McCracken, a researcher and curator at the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, a Site of Conscience in Ontario, to learn more about the site’s commitment to Indigenous-driven, decolonized history practice.

October 4, 2022

Bosque Redondo

The Coalition’s Kassidy Charles recently sat down with Aaron Roth, the historic site manager at the Bosque Redondo Memorial at Forth Sumner, and Manuelito Wheeler, an advisor to the site, to discuss the space’s evolution and its lessons learned for other Sites of Conscience.

October 4, 2022

Apply for 2023 Internships

We are excited to continue our internship program for 2023 in partnership with Newcastle University in which Sites of Conscience can apply to host a student from NU to intern at their site. Applications are due on October 26, 2022.

May 3, 2022

Supporting Women’s Right to Choose

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is outraged by reports that the U.S. Supreme Court appears positioned to overturn Roe v. Wade, which protects…

May 2, 2022

Creating the Platform: Museo Internacional para la Democracia

Camila Yanzaguano Bravo, a Communications Associate at the Coalition, recently spoke with Gustavo Meoño Brenner, the Coordinator of Memory and Human Rights at Museo Internacional…

May 2, 2022

Justice for All: Remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Angi Williams, a Communications Associate at the Coalition, recently spoke with Suzanne Pred Bass, Executive Board Member at the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, located…

April 7, 2022

Human Rights and Heritage: A Call to Relocate the 2022 World Heritage Committee Session from Russia

In solidarity with our Ukrainian members, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience strongly urges UNESCO to move its upcoming World Heritage Committee session –…

April 1, 2022

Creación de la plataforma: Museo Internacional para la Democracia

Camila Yanzaguano Bravo, Asociada de Comunicaciones de la Coalición, habló recientemente con Gustavo Meoño Brenner, Coordinador de Memoria y Derechos Humanos del Museo Internacional para…

March 29, 2022

Standing with Montpelier’s Descendant Community

For over two decades, James Madison’s Montpelier has been recognized as a leader among historic sites for its collaborative work between descendant communities, staff, board…

March 24, 2022

تحدّي الصّمت: رسم الخرائط الرّقميّة من أجل مُحاربة الإفلات من العقاب

يسرّ التّحالف الدّولي لمواقع الضّمير أن يدعوكم إلى حضورِ ندوته الشّبكيّة العالميّة الأولَى لهذا العام، تحت عنوان “تحدّي الصّمت: رسم الخرائط الرّقميّة من أجل مُحاربة…

March 24, 2022

Forgotten No More: Statement on the Bangladesh Genocide

On the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience stands with its founding member, the Liberation War Museum,…

March 23, 2022

Confronting Silence: Digital Mapping to Fight Impunity

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience will host its first global webinar of the year, “Confronting Silence: Digital Mapping to Fight Impunity,” on March…

March 10, 2022

2022 Member Survey

Every three years, the Coalition works closely with our members, staff and Board to update our strategic plan which serves to guide our programming around the world…

March 1, 2022

Members at Risk

Statement on the Liquidation of International Memorial March 1, 2022 The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) condemns, in the strongest terms possible, the…

February 25, 2022

Statement on Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Ukrainian civilians awoke to the sounds of shelling and explosions following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order of an invasion of the…

December 27, 2021

Global Summit 2021: New Alliances for Lasting Change

“The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience has made possible connections that would have been almost impossible for individual organizations to achieve on their own…There…

December 27, 2021

Making Space: Centering Indigenous Experiences

“What this project has provided for me is the invaluable experience of more spaciousness in my heart and mind. This liberating effect has convinced me…

December 18, 2021

Migrations Museum Network

The Migration Museums Network is a group of museums that envision an open multicultural society, where human mobility is a universal right. They believe museums…

December 14, 2021

تقليصُ أسبوع العمل إلى أربعة أيّام في التّحالف الدّولي لمواقع الضّمير

بيان صحفي نيويورك 1 كانون الأوّل/ ديسمبر 2021 يسرّ التّحالف الدّولي لمواقع الضّمير أن يُعلنَ عن تجريب نظامِ أربعة أيّام عمل في الأسبوع، وذلكَ…

December 14, 2021

Les sites de conscience et la semaine de travail de quatre jours

COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE VILLE DE NEW YORK, ÉTAT DE NEW YORK 1er DÉCEMBRE 2021 La Coalition internationale des Sites de conscience a le plaisir d’annoncer…

December 14, 2021

Semanas laborales de cuatro días y Sitios de Conciencia

COMUNICADO DE PRENSA NUEVA YORK, NY 1 de diciembre de 2021 La Coalición Internacional de Sitios de Conciencia se complace en anunciar que pondrá a…

December 14, 2021

Les sites de conscience et la semaine de travail de quatre jours

COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE VILLE DE NEW YORK, ÉTAT DE NEW YORK 1er DÉCEMBRE 2021 La Coalition internationale des Sites de conscience a le plaisir d’annoncer…

December 1, 2021

Four-Day Workweeks and Sites of Conscience

PRESS RELEASE NEW YORK, NY June 30, 2022 After a six month pilot period, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is pleased to announce…

November 25, 2021

#MeMemorial

Solidarity Statement on International Memorial November 17, 2021; Updated on November 25, 2021 and December 21, 2021 The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience stands…

November 15, 2021

#SurvivorsKnowBest

In November 2021, the Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR) and Amplifier, a nonprofit design lab that brings together artists and activists, launched…

September 27, 2021

2021 Project Support Fund Awardees

The Coalition is pleased to announce that four Sites of Conscience were awarded Project Support Fund grants (PSF) in 2021. Awardees will each receive grants…

September 20, 2021

Confronting the Past to Ensure a Peaceful Future

Ashley Nelson, Director of Communications at the Coalition, recently spoke with Tütengül Küçüker, Empowering CSOs Fellowship Coordinator at the Hrant Dink Foundation, a Site of…

September 17, 2021

Body-Mapping: A New Vision of Hope for the Future

Ashley Nelson, Director of Communications at the Coalition, recently spoke with Amina Krvavac, Executive Director of the War Childhood Museum (WCM), a Site of Conscience…

August 23, 2021

Old Sturbridge Village: Contextualizing History

Ashley Nelson, Director of Communications at the Coalition, recently spoke with Derek Heidemann, Director of Collections & Research at Old Sturbridge Village, a Site of…

August 10, 2021

Remembering Sergei Kovalev

It is with great sadness that we at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience note that prominent human rights defender, Soviet dissident, and one…

July 27, 2021

Shared Journeys: A Virtual Exhibition

Ensuring that all histories – especially the most marginalized – are preserved and shared is a priority for Sites of Conscience around the globe. To…

May 25, 2021

Register Now: Embracing Religious Diversity

July 27-29, 2021 This workshop is open only to members of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. To register, click here. For Agenda (English),…

April 28, 2021

The Search for Mass Graves in Georgia

Despite acknowledging Georgia’s independence a year prior, in 1921 Russian forces overtook the country, declaring it a Soviet Socialist Republic. In subsequent decades, repression of…

April 28, 2021

LGBTQI+ Rights in the Dominican Republic

While same-sex conduct is not technically criminalized in the Dominican Republic, unlike many Caribbean countries, LGBTQI+ Dominicans routinely face violence and discrimination. In this interview,…

April 19, 2021

Alissandra Cummins, New Board Chair

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is thrilled to announce that Alissandra Cummins is the new Chair of our Board of Trustees. Director of…

February 10, 2021

Revisiter le Rwanda

Créé en octobre 2017 par des réfugiés burundais vivant au Rwanda, Site of Conscience Forum for Vigilant Memory (FVM) travaille à éduquer les gens sur…

February 5, 2021

Member Profile: A Discussion with Amber Johnson from the Justice Fleet

The Justice Fleet is a mobile Site of Conscience based in St. Louis, USA, that fosters community healing around racism and identity through art, play,…

February 4, 2021

Statement of Condemnation for the Killing of Lebanese Activist Lokman Slim

February 4, 2021 New York, NY Statement available in Arabic, French and Spanish According to available information, Lokman Slim, a longtime Lebanese activist and Hezbollah…

February 2, 2021

Revisiting Rwanda

Established in October 2017 by Burundian refugees living in Rwanda, Site of Conscience Forum for Vigilant Memory (FVM) works to educate people about genocide, assist…

January 7, 2021

Statement on the Violence at the U.S. Capitol

In response to the shameful violence and lawlessness at the U.S. Capitol yesterday, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience restates its unwavering commitment to…

December 9, 2020

Food for Thought: A Celebration of International Migrants Day

Throughout human history, migration has been a courageous expression of the individual’s will to overcome adversity and to live a better life. To celebrate their…

November 6, 2020

Sites of Conscience and Democracy

Sites of Conscience across the globe know from experience that the slide from democracy to dictatorship can happen far more quickly than most people imagine….

August 27, 2020

En Solidaridad: CIDH y Dr. Paulo Abrão

Agosto 26, 2020 La Coalición Internacional de Sitios de Conciencia (la Coalición) apoya a la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) en la condenación de…

August 24, 2020

Indigenous Perspectives on Art, History, Landscape and Memorialization – Complimentary Consultations

Are you a New York State museum, historical society or heritage organization that wishes to engage more deeply in work related to Indigenous peoples? To…

July 29, 2020

TIME Magazine: Confederate Monuments and Other Disputed Memorials Have Come Down in Cities Across America

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a global network of historic sites, museums and memory initiatives, tells TIME that the process of replacing “symbols…

July 22, 2020

Upcoming Webinars

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With over 300 members in more than 65 countries, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience offers unprecedented access to a range of sites and…

June 23, 2020

Race and Policing Front Page Dialogue

Between July 2014 and April 2015, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray and Walter Scott – all African American men – lost their lives at…

June 2, 2020

The Past Is Present: Sites of Conscience in Solidarity

Dear Friends, The historic system of racism in the United States lays a path of destruction through our present, claiming lives at the hands of…

May 3, 2020

Stronger Together: A COVID-19 Webinar Series

Upcoming COVID-19 Webinars For Previous Webinars, See Below Activism and Advocacy during the COVID pandemic Wednesday, June 17th at 10 am EST (New York) As…

May 2, 2020

Angel Island, COVID-19 and Collective Innovation

Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF), a Coalition member in San Francisco, California, is no stranger to the subjects of isolation and resilience. The “Ellis…

May 1, 2020

What Is the Pandemic Teaching Us About Sites of Conscience?

COVID-19 is impacting all aspects of our world, including the fields of culture and heritage, in countless ways. Indeed, from art galleries in France to…

April 8, 2020

COVID-19 Public Square

To best support members during this time, we have created the following Virtual Public Square as we know that even while we must be physically…

March 23, 2020

COVID-19 Digital Front Page Dialogue

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. As of September 30, 2020, there have been over 33 million confirmed cases…

March 19, 2020

Finding Support: Cultural Programming in Challenging Times – A Webinar

Join us for our next Conscience Matters Webinar April 9, 2020 8:00 AM New York / 9:00 AM Rio de Janeiro / 2:00 pm Cape…

March 13, 2020

Join Collective Care Chats – Members Only

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, it is all too easy to feel a sense of worry and isolation. At this time, we at the Coalition…

March 10, 2020

Pathways of Innovation: Civil Society Advancing Transitional Justice

Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation The Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR) – a flagship program of the Coalition – is…

March 10, 2020

Understanding and Addressing Violations of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Transitional Justice: An Assessment Tool

Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation In countries transitioning from conflict or authoritarian rule, it is crucial that all members of society – especially women and minorities…

February 13, 2020

Webinar – Weddings at Former Plantations?

February Weddings at Former Plantations? Determining Event and Visitor Behavior Policies at Historical Sites This webinar will be held on June 5th at 10 am…

February 6, 2020

Declaración sobre el proceso de suspensión de la membresía del Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica de Colombia

El 1 de febrero de 2020, la Coalición Internacional de Sitios de Conciencia suspendió la membresía del Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica en Bogotá, Colombia,…

February 5, 2020

Declaración sobre el proceso de suspensión de la membersía del Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica de Colombia

El 1 de febrero de 2020, la Coalición Internacional de Sitios de Conciencia suspendió la membresía del Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica en Bogotá, Colombia,…

February 4, 2020

Statement on the National Center for Historical Memory

On February 1, 2020, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience suspended the membership of the National Center for Historical Memory in Bogotá, Colombia from…

January 24, 2020

Statement on the International Court of Justice Ruling to Protect Rohingya Muslims

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is fully supportive of the ruling by the International Court of Justice at The Hague that Myanmar must…

December 11, 2019

Standing Up Together – Strengthening Women’s Leadership Capacity

Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women. – Maya Angelou In…

December 9, 2019

Documenting Human Rights Violations with Rohingya Communities

“We are hungry for justice and human rights” explained a Rohingya community leader to Ereshnee Naidu-Silverman, Senior Director of the Coalition’s Global Transitional Justice Initiative…

December 9, 2019

Rethinking the Landscape: Haudenosaunee Women

How can museums, historical societies and local communities deepen and richen their understanding of Haudenosaunee culture and develop tools for revisioning exhibitions, programs and public…

October 17, 2019

Combatting Youth Migration in The Gambia

According to the International Organization for Migration, 45% of the population in The Gambia was under 15 years old in 2015. Over the last few…

October 16, 2019

Historias y Recuerdos

Coalition member Colibrí Center for Human Rights focuses on ending disappearances and upholding human dignity along the US-Mexico border. Since its founding in 2013, Colibrí has collected over…

October 10, 2019

Migration Dialogues in El Quiché, Guatemala

Mayans represented a majority – about 83% – of the over 200,000 people killed in the Guatemalan civil war (1960-1996). Guatemalan Coalition member International Institute of…

July 31, 2019

Ground Up: African Youth Transitional Justice Academy

Since 2014, the Coalition’s Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR) has applied Sites of Conscience methodology to assist survivors, civil society organizations (CSOs)…

July 31, 2019

Changing the Status Quo: Museum Decolonization Institute

The Abbe Museum, a Coalition member in Bar Harbor, Maine, showcases the history and cultures of Maine’s Native people, the Wabanaki, through changing exhibitions, special events, education…

July 31, 2019

Citizenship and Democracy in Brazil’s Schools

The Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR), a Coalition member based in New York, works to prevent genocide by building a worldwide community with the…

May 24, 2019

American Association for State and Local History’s Annual Meeting in Philadelphia

The Coalition is proud to be co-hosting the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from August 28-31, 2019. The…

May 20, 2019

Women of Conscience

Women’s leadership and peaceful societies are inextricably linked: One cannot exist without the other. While this fact is well documented, women around the world continue…

May 16, 2019

Project Support Fund Now Open

The Coalition is pleased to announce that applications for its 2019 Project Support Fund are now being accepted, with the consultation period taking place from…

March 20, 2019

“It Takes Great Courage to Face the Facts:” On Women’s Activism in the MENA Region

Originally trained as a pediatric specialist, Maha Alsakban founded Coalition member Women’s Human Rights Centre in 2003. Based in Diwaniya, in south central Iraq, WHRC…

March 19, 2019

Bearing Witness: Women’s Experiences in Detention

“I think we were not conscious of the mistreatment we suffered as women, at least not as conscious as we are today. In that situation,…

December 13, 2018

The Art of Inclusion: Reimagining Indigenous Representations

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience will soon launch a 12-month initiative entitled The Art of Inclusion with support from the New York State…

December 13, 2018

Channels of Trust: Working with Marginalized Communities in Colombia

The conflict in Colombia claimed the lives of over 200,000 people between 1958-2013. To help those affected, and begin to bridge historic divides in the…

November 7, 2018

Dialogue Across Difference in Sri Lanka

The Coalition’s Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation has been working with civil society organizations in Sri Lanka since 2015 to facilitate communication between…

October 24, 2018

Serious Play: Institutional Creativity with Linda Norris

Since her first volunteer job at the Chemung County Historical Society in upstate New York at the age of 14, Linda Norris has been reflecting…

October 24, 2018

A Woman of Action: Pearl S. Buck and the House that Honors Her

Through its Methodology and Practice department, the Coalition offers a range of trainings and consultations to help museums, historic sites and other cultural organizations engage…

September 13, 2018

Never Remember: Searching for Stalin’s Gulags in Putin’s Russia

In 1995, in the Perm region of the Russian Federation, a unique memorial museum of the history of political repression was created in the former…

September 12, 2018

Museum of Dialogue: Maidan’s New Home

Responding to social upheavals and ongoing human rights abuses in “real time” is a challenging but critical component of what Sites of Conscience do. The Maidan…

September 11, 2018

Following the Gulag’s Footprints

Founded in 2009, Gulag.cz (Czech Republic) shares and circulates information about the Soviet gulag and its connection to the totalitarian regime in the USSR more generally….

September 9, 2018

Unlocking Dialogue & Action: A Concept for the Spaç Prison

Closed in 1982, the remote and foreboding Spaç Prison once held Albania’s imminent political prisoners under the Communist regime. In this essay, Mirian Bllaci, a Program…

August 8, 2018

Brazil and the Power of Place

In June 2018 I had the privilege of joining the Coalition as the Regional Program Manager for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. As a…

June 28, 2018

Front Page Dialogue: The Refugee Crisis

There are currently over 65 million forcibly displaced people around the world, more than at any other time since World War II. The number of…

April 30, 2018

“The Very Personal Is What Changes People’s Consciousness:” An Interview with Activist Shirley Gunn

For Shirley Gunn, activism and personal stories have long gone hand in hand. Born in Cape Town in 1955, she grew up as an eyewitness…

March 27, 2018

Video Series: Transitional Justice in MENA

In the past decade, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have experienced tremendous political upheaval and, in many cases, brutal conflict. To…

December 20, 2017

Building a Learning Community: Lessons for a Holistic and Sustainable Approach to Transitional Justice

In countries transitioning from conflict or authoritarian rule, it is crucial that all members of society – especially women and minorities – are included in the envisioning and building…

October 23, 2017

Together We Respond: A Virtual Conference

A Virtual Conference on Memory and Human Rights Today December 11, 2017 Members: Free Non-members are invited to pay $25 per session; $60 for all…

September 28, 2017

We Need to Go to the Communities: Human Rights in the Philippines

September 21, 2017 marked the 45th anniversary of the beginning of the Martial Law era under Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. During the decade-long period,…

September 28, 2017

Students Sustaining the Peace in Sierra Leone

“Did the fighters kill civilians?” “What will happen in the event of another war?” “Can we establish clubs to talk about the war since…

September 26, 2017

Building Bridges for Human Rights

Memoria Abierta, a collective of human rights organizations based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, works to raise awareness and knowledge about state terrorism in order to…

September 14, 2017

Video Series: Transitional Justice in MENA

ON THE BRINK: ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE IN YEMEN In the past decade, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have experienced tremendous political upheaval…

September 7, 2017

We Must Go the Extra Mile: On DACA, Education and Advocacy

As immigration continues to be a heated topic around the world, our members work tirelessly to amplify the voices and support the rights of migrant populations. This…

September 1, 2017

Apply Now for the Project Support Fund

The Coalition is pleased to announce that Round 1 of the 2018 Project Support Fund is now open, with the consultation period taking place from…

August 21, 2017

Community Building and Action after Charlottesville

Dear Friends, The recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia are a stark reminder of the power of sites of memory to either deepen division or inspire…

June 28, 2017

K(NO)W JUSTICE K(NO)W PEACE – The People, The Process, The Project

Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA) is an interactive history museum that provides the nation with the most comprehensive interpretation…

June 28, 2017

Beyond the Uniform: Strategies for Bridging Differences

From 1968 until 1998, Northern Ireland was involved in a brutal conflict commonly known as “The Troubles” – dividing those who felt the country should remain part of the primarily…

June 28, 2017

Media Watch on Hate Speech Project

The Hrant Dink Foundation was established in 2007 in Istanbul, following the assassination of Hrant Dink, the founder of the Turkish-Armenian Agos newspaper. The Foundation is…

May 23, 2017

The End of an Era: On History, Context and Confederate Monuments

Heated discussions are taking place as confederate monuments are being dismantled across the American South. The Coalition recently spoke with Louis Nelson, Professor of Architectural History…

March 30, 2017

Front Page Dialogue: The Paris Agreement

Human activity has begun to take a significant toll on the earth’s weather patterns, increasing temperatures and raising sea levels. This, in turn, has led to…

March 24, 2017

We Are the Ocean: An Indigenous Response to Climate Change

The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle, Washington is dedicated to the history and narratives of the Asian Pacific American community….

March 24, 2017

“The Environment Isn’t Just the Things; It’s the People.”

The Rafael Cintrón Ortiz Latino Cultural Center (LCC) was established forty years ago at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) out of an urban…

March 24, 2017

Door of No Return: Climate Change and Maison des Esclaves

While leaders around the globe cast doubt on climate change, the effects of global warming and rising sea levels are taking an increasingly human face….

March 15, 2017

Project Support Fund Awardees

2017 – Round 1 The Coalition is pleased to announce that the winners of the 2017 Project Support Fund, Round 1 are: Kdei Karuna (Cambodia), the Matilda…

March 7, 2017

The First of Many: Thoughts on Dialogue Facilitation and Inspiring Conversation, Empathy and Action

This blog – by Samantha Hunter, a Specialist in Education at Eastern State Penitentiary – is the first in a series of posts from participants…

March 3, 2017

Engaging Youth in an Unknown History

“Let us join together and clear the debris that has been thrown over the bodies of hundreds and thousands of Bangalees. Only then we shall…

February 17, 2017

Front Page Dialogue – Women’s Rights

Our latest Front Page Dialogue is now available! The model offers thoughts on how to engage visitors in discussions surrounding the 2017 Women’s March on Washington and women’s…

February 4, 2017

Open Letter: Cutting Through the Darkness

Dear Friends, These are deeply troubling times for all of us who work to build a world where dignity, truth and justice shine through the…

February 4, 2017

Open Letter: Cutting Through the Darkness

Dear Friends, These are deeply troubling times for all of us who work to build a world where dignity, truth and justice shine through the…

February 4, 2017

Open Letter: Cutting Through the Darkness

Dear Friends, These are deeply troubling times for all of us who work to build a world where dignity, truth and justice shine through the…

February 4, 2017

Open Letter: Cutting Through the Darkness

Dear Friends, These are deeply troubling times for all of us who work to build a world where dignity, truth and justice shine through the…

February 1, 2017

Open Letter: Cutting Through the Darkness

Dear Friends, These are deeply troubling times for all of us who work to build a world where dignity, truth and justice shine through the…

January 9, 2017

Students Promoting Racial Equity

The Coalition launched From Brown v. Board to Ferguson: Fostering Dialogue on Education, Incarceration, and Civil Rights in October 2015 to address one glaring contemporary legacy…

January 9, 2017

Students Promoting Racial Equity

The Coalition launched From Brown v. Board to Ferguson: Fostering Dialogue on Education, Incarceration, and Civil Rights in October 2015 to address one glaring contemporary legacy…

January 9, 2017

Students Promoting Racial Equity

The Coalition launched From Brown v. Board to Ferguson: Fostering Dialogue on Education, Incarceration, and Civil Rights in October 2015 to address one glaring contemporary legacy…

January 9, 2017

Students Promoting Racial Equity

The Coalition launched From Brown v. Board to Ferguson: Fostering Dialogue on Education, Incarceration, and Civil Rights in October 2015 to address one glaring contemporary legacy…

January 9, 2017

Body-Mapping in Uganda

There are a range of tools, both verbal and non-verbal, that assist survivors in coming to terms with past conflict and atrocities. Art methodologies provide an…

January 9, 2017

Body-Mapping in Uganda

There are a range of tools, both verbal and non-verbal, that assist survivors in coming to terms with past conflict and atrocities. Art methodologies provide an…

January 9, 2017

Body-Mapping in Uganda

There are a range of tools, both verbal and non-verbal, that assist survivors in coming to terms with past conflict and atrocities. Art methodologies provide an…

January 9, 2017

Body-Mapping in Uganda

There are a range of tools, both verbal and non-verbal, that assist survivors in coming to terms with past conflict and atrocities. Art methodologies provide an…

January 9, 2017

“The Present Needs Memory”

Guatemala was immersed in a protracted internal armed conflict between the government and leftist guerilla groups between 1960-1996. During these decades, a series of military dictatorships…

January 9, 2017

“The Present Needs Memory”

Guatemala was immersed in a protracted internal armed conflict between the government and leftist guerilla groups between 1960-1996. During these decades, a series of military dictatorships…

January 9, 2017

“The Present Needs Memory”

Guatemala was immersed in a protracted internal armed conflict between the government and leftist guerilla groups between 1960-1996. During these decades, a series of military dictatorships…

January 9, 2017

“The Present Needs Memory”

Guatemala was immersed in a protracted internal armed conflict between the government and leftist guerilla groups between 1960-1996. During these decades, a series of military dictatorships…

December 12, 2016

“The Present Needs Memory”

Guatemala was immersed in a protracted internal armed conflict between the government and leftist guerrilla groups between 1960-1996. During these decades, a series of military dictatorships…

December 12, 2016

Body-Mapping in Uganda

There are a range of tools, both verbal and non-verbal, that assist survivors in coming to terms with past conflict and atrocities. Art methodologies provide an…

December 12, 2016

Students Promoting Racial Equity

The Coalition launched From Brown v. Board to Ferguson: Fostering Dialogue on Education, Incarceration, and Civil Rights in October 2015 to address one glaring contemporary legacy…

October 28, 2016

My Museum and Me

The Balkan Museum Network supports the development of creative museum professionals and advocates for socially responsible museums in the Balkan region that promote and celebrate learning. It currently encompasses 50…

September 27, 2016

“History Lives in Our Bodies”

Black Women’s Blueprint is a transnational black feminist organization that celebrates the African diaspora, while mourning the violent conditions that created it. Through advocacy, transformative…

September 27, 2016

Did Black Lives Matter? Rewriting History in a Caribbean Context

By Alissandra Cummins, Director, Barbados Museum & Historical Society “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it myself.”[i] This popular…

September 27, 2016

When Rewriting the Past Is a Good Thing

By Louis Nelson Professor of Architectural History and the Associate Dean in the School of Architecture, University of Virginia Historians have many responsibilities. One of…

September 16, 2016

Intergenerational Dialogue: Connecting Past and Present in Cambodia at Youth for Peace

By Long Khet Founder and Executive Director of the Peace Institute of Cambodia-Youth for Peace Cambodia’s history is marked by decades of civil war and…

July 20, 2016

Mapeo de la Memoria

Por Julio Solórzano Foppa, Chair, Memorial para la Concordia El Mapeo de la Memoria es una iniciativa del Memorial para la Concordia –MPC- y constituye el registro…

July 20, 2016

Memory Map

By Julio Solórzano Foppa, Chair, Memorial para la Concordia Para una versión en español, haga clic aquí. The Memory Map is an initiative by the Memorial para la…

July 20, 2016

The Art of the Prototype

Located in Santa Fe, the Museum of International Folk Art is home to the world’s largest collection of folk art. With over 135,000 artifacts from…

July 20, 2016

Project Support Fund Awardees

2016 – Round 2 Getting a new public program off the ground requires funds, technical know-how, and promotional marketing. The Coalition’s Project Support Fund gives members…

July 19, 2016

Mapeo de la Memoria

Por Julio Solórzano Foppa, Chair, Memorial para la Concordia For an English translation, click here. El Mapeo de la Memoria es una iniciativa del Memorial para…

June 2, 2016

Re-Imagining a Peaceful Future in South Sudan

By: Ereshnee Naidu-Silverman, Senior Director of the Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation In December 2013 – less than two years after it was declared…

June 1, 2016

Spaces for Hope

The Coalition recently spoke with Justine di Mayo, Co-Founder and Director of Act for the Disappeared (ACT), a Lebanese Human Rights organization created in 2010 by…

April 25, 2016

Reclaiming Colonia Dignidad

By Margarita Romero President of Asociación por la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos Colonia Dignidad Silence and secrecy are part and parcel of torture. Perpetrators…

April 25, 2016

Member Profile: Asking Difficult Questions at the Abbe Museum

The Abbe Museum in Bar Habor, Maine, aims to inspire new learning about Native people in Maine, the Wabanaki, with every visit. Through changing exhibitions, special events…

April 25, 2016

New Members of the Coalition

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience has welcomed four new members in recent months. Please visit here for more information, or to renew your membership. …

April 20, 2016

Welcoming Alexei Khamarkhanov

The Coalition is delighted to welcome the newest member of our staff, Alexei Khamarkhanov, who joined the team in March 2016. As Finance and Operations…

April 12, 2016

Museums Engage Youth on Race, Education and Incarceration in the United States

Press Release The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience announces From Brown v. Board to Ferguson, a national initiative to foster dialogue on race, education…

March 24, 2016

صندوق دعم المشاريع: دعوة لتقديم مقترحات السنة المالية 2016، الجولة 2

صندوق دعم المشروعات الخاصة بالتحالف: دعوة لتقديم مقترحات السنة المالية 2016، الجولة 2 صندوق دعم المشاريع دعوة لتقديم مقترحات السنة المالية 2016، الجولة 2 يهدف…

March 24, 2016

Fondo de apoyo a proyectos: llamado a presentar propuestas año fiscal 2016, 2.a vuelta

FONDO DE APOYO A PROYECTOS LLAMADO A PRESENTAR PROPUESTAS AÑO FISCAL 2016, 2.a vuelta El Fondo de Apoyo a Proyectos pretende impulsar la habilidad de…

March 11, 2016

Project Support Fund Recipients, FY2016 Round 1

We are pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s first round of our Project Support Fund Grant. Nonviolence International Southeast Asia NISEA works…

March 3, 2016

Labor Rights, Women and Activism on the Border

By Yolanda Chávez Leyva, Ph.D. Director, Institute of Oral History & The Borderlands Public History Lab The University of Texas at El Paso Women workers…

March 3, 2016

“At the Stroke of a Pen, My Life Changed Forever”

By Bonney Djuric Director, Parramatta Female Factory Precinct (PFFP) and Lily Hibberd Artist and Co-Founder of PFFP Memory Project and DECRA ARC Fellow at NIEA/UNSW A…

March 3, 2016

War and Motherhood in Sri Lanka

“Yes, I am going to tell you about a few things which may provoke your thinking.” From 1983 to 2009, Sri Lanka was devastated by a civil war that…

February 16, 2016

Members in Motion: Five Members Ask Five Questions during Black History Month

Throughout the Coalition’s network, members are having conversations and opening new doors on the subject of race and civil rights. Black History Month offers…

February 11, 2016

From School to Prison: Race in the United States Today

By Tramia Jackson, Program Associate for the United States Network Justice, race, and incarceration reform have recently been at the forefront of conversations in homes, schools,…

January 29, 2016

Transitional Justice Today

By: Ereshnee Naidu-Silverman, Senior Advisor with the Coalition’s Global Initiative for Justice, Truth, and Reconciliation “Transitional justice needs to be about the people, not satisfying…

January 28, 2016

Member Profile: Remembering Means Acting at Casa do Povo

Casa do Povo is a place like no other in Brazil. Established in 1953, the cultural center was founded as a living monument in memory…

January 28, 2016

New Members of the Coalition

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is honored to welcome its newest members. For more information, or to renew your membership, please click here….

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