Dr James Smith, ‘Holocaust Memory, Rwanda, and Genocide Prevention Today’

On the evening of Thursday 4 July the Societies and Cultures Institute is partnering with the British and Irish Association for Holocaust Studies to support a public lecture in the Exeter Guildhall delivered by Dr James Smith. Dr Smith is the deputy chair and founder of the Aegis Trust, which works globally to prevent genocide and human rights abuses, and he was in the 1990s also co-founder of the National Holocaust Centre and Museum in Nottinghamshire.

In this talk he will be reflecting on the process of setting up that museum alongside his brother Stephen Smith in a period when public memory of the Holocaust was given relatively little attention, and how this then developed into the follow-up foundation of the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda.

With 30 years having now passed since the genocide in Rwanda, 2024 is an important year for reflecting on events in that country, their implications, and their wider historical context. Dr Smith will consider how the anniversary of this 1994 genocide should prompt us to consider societal strains and risks of mass violence in other areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, and the deep roots of instability in the region. Turning his attention to the legacies of colonialism, and back to his initial work in pioneering British remembrance and education on the Holocaust, he will note how 20th century forms of racism and eugenics that manifested so murderously in the Nazi period have histories that go well back into the 19th century and European imperialism. Dr Smith will then discuss the immediate plans of the Aegis Trust in terms of providing trauma support for effected communities, and practical analysis of the economic factors that lie behind the threat of mass violence in Sub-Saharan Africa. In all, this promises to be a fascinating, wide-ranging, and provocative talk from one of Britain’s leading public activists working on the memory and prevention of genocide.

This event is open to all. Please note, space is limited - there are 40 tickets available.

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Host or Publisher Institute for Cultural Enquiry