Dr. Stephen Smith Appointed UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education

{{Dr. Stephen Smith, co-founder of the Aegis Trust, was on Thursday, October3 appointed the inaugural holder of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair on Genocide Education.}}

An international genocide prevention organization, the Aegis Trust is responsible, under contract to CNLG, for the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi which it established at the request of Kigali City Council in 2004.

Dr. Smith is today the Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education in California, and an adjunct professor of religion.

Aegis Trust and USC Shoah Foundation are working together in Rwanda to educate young people to help build peace in the country.

“I am a firm believer that education is the bedrock of our efforts to prevent genocide,” Dr. Smith said. “Through this partnership, USC Shoah Foundation and UNESCO are joining forces to develop the research networks and education programs essential to understand and limit genocide in future generations.”

Aegis Trust Chief Executive Dr. James Smith, who created the charity with his brother Dr. Stephen Smith, noted, “Everyone at the Aegis Trust is delighted and very proud that the organisation’s co-founder has become the inaugural UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education, and joins me in sending warm congratulations to Stephen.”

He added, “The USC Shoah Foundation’s collaboration with Aegis on peace-building education in Rwanda is of immense value, and we look forward to seeing that partnership grow even stronger in coming years.”

The UNESCO award was in 2011 presented to Aegis’ Goodwill Ambassador, the actor Clive Owen.

{Dr. Stephen Smith, co-founder of the Aegis Trust}