On April 29, AMEL joined forces with the Together We Remember Coalition for a 24-hour Online Global Vigil to conclude Genocide Awareness Month. This event, which featured hundreds of attendees worldwide and capped off a month of panels, discussions, and other events, provided people around the globe with a space to share their stories and be united together in the fight to end identity-based violence.
The AMEL-led session of the Vigil, hour 12 out of 24, was entitled “Remembering & Preventing Atrocities: Young Leaders from Across Africa & the Middle East”. During the session, AMEL hosted young leaders from Sudan, Syria and Yemen who told their stories and shared their hope that one day common humanity will prevail over violence based on identity.
AMEL's own Megan Hallahan and Mohamed Abubakr moderated AMEL's hour of the Vigil and provided words of solidarity and hope for attendees around the globe. Highlights of the speaker and their remarks include the following.
Ruwan Al-Rejolah - Ruwan is a Syrian-American commentator, human rights activist, and speaker. She left Syria in 2012 and is currently working on initiatives focused on women, peace and security and community activism. Her details of the atrocities Syrians are facing outlined the government's control of public narratives, including denial of the Holocaust and the 1982 Hama massacre. Despite strong governmental control, Syrians are extremely resilient and have continued to fight for an end to the violence.
Syrian Activist - A Syrian Activist joining the session needed to keep his identity anonymous in order to protect his safety. He described this identity-based war as one in which Syrians "sides" are picked for them and depend on what religion they are or what city they are from. The mentality of "if you're not with us, you're against us", he said, must stop in order for healing to begin. He concluded with a hope that Syria will one day realize the importance of treating everyone as human beings.
Mohammed Al-Samawi - Mohammed is an author and peace leader who left Yemen for the US six years ago. Mohammed reflected that while Yemen was historically a diverse, open and inclusive nation, the country today is very different. Yemen has been experiencing conflict and enduring bombing by an international coalition for the past six years. It was the world's worst humanitarian crisis even before the COVID-19 pandemic compounded the situation. Mohammed said education and "young people are the hope of ending the war" pointing to youth-led initiatives as the best hope for bringing inclusion, understanding, and peace back to Yemen.
Nadia Taha - Nadia is a lawyer-turned-journalist from the Darfur region of Sudan. In conversation with Mohamed Abubakr, Nadia discussed her experiences growing up in Darfur during the height of the genocide in the early 2000s. She shared stories from family, neighbors and refugees, as well as youth-led efforts during the genocide and the power of young people. She hopes that the peace agreement will bring an end to the violence and provide a pathway for people to return to their homes.
Find AMEL’s hour of the vigil below, or to watch the entire vigil here.
