Lemkin Association

Lemkin Association proudly welcomes Savina Sirik (Uppsala University) and Valens Bimenyimana (University of Rwanda) for a joint lecture on memorialization in post-genocide Cambodia and Rwanda.

For registration, please fill out the form linked in our bio!

About the lectures:

Savina Sirik: Memorialization of genocide in post-Khmer Rouge Cambodia

"Between 1975 and 1979, the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), commonly known as the Khmer Rouge, carried out a campaign of mass violence that claimed the lives of up to two million people. Following the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodians have worked to recover from the civil war and genocide, rebuilding their society and confronting the past. One key aspect of this process has been the memorialization of the Khmer Rouge atrocities and their victims. In this seminar, Savina will examine how the mass violence is memorialized in post-Khmer Rouge Cambodia, focusing on the politics of remembrance, the role of memorial sites in shaping narratives, and the role of civil society in preserving memory of the Khmer Rouge."

Valens Bimenyimana: Memory Between Time and Space: Older vs Younger Generations and Genocide Memorial Sites in Rwanda

"Between April and July 1994, Rwanda experienced a genocide in which more than one million Tutsi, along with many moderate Hutu, were killed, leaving deep and lasting consequences for the nation. The process of memorialization that followed involved the establishment of numerous memorial sites to serve as spaces for annual commemorations, educational and research visits, as well as for providing psychological, moral, and financial support to genocide survivors. It also encompassed initiatives promoting unity and reconciliation. In this seminar, Valens will discuss how different categories of Rwandans engage with memorial infrastructures in their communities—particularly younger generations born after 1994, who did not witness the genocide but continue to live with its enduring legacies."

Lemkin Association invites UHGS students of new and old to a Swedish fika to celebrate the start of the new semester🍁 A great opportunity to get to know your peers before the first official uni day. No membership required.

📍DM to RSVP, and we will give you the location!

It’s almost time to wrap up the end of the the year! But before we go we as Lemkin want to wish everyone a nice Holiday break and the best wishes for 2025!

We ended our year by visiting the Gamla Uppsala Christmas market and a nice fika for our members! If you want to join our activities upcoming year contact us and we’ll let you know how!🫶🏼

Enjoy the Holidays and see you next year❄️

👋 The 2023-2024 board is officially signing off! Thank you to everyone who attended our events this year and our amazing coordinators for their hard work. It’s been a great year for the Lemkin Association! 👏 Gabrielle, Mila, Mitchell, Xanthe, Robert, and Ana (not pictured) 👋

A message from the outgoing Lemkin Chair, Mitchel:

I would like to thank all students and staff who have aided me and my Board in the successful running of the Lemkin Association in the 2023-2024 academic year at Uppsala University. Whereas the Lemkin Association is a very new student undertaking, it is also in my eyes currently one of the most promising upcoming environments for students of the HVC and the History Department. Within my capacity as Chair of the Association, in which position I served from May 2023 to May 2024, I have found it both rewarding and exciting to have spearheaded my vision to bring about a much-needed interdisciplinary space for all Masters students at the Uppsala History Department and beyond, with the intent of non-partisan freedoms and diverse discussions of all sorts no matter their backgrounds or personal views. In short, a place where everyone would be welcome, which I hope will continue to always be the case as the Association prospers further.

To this extent, together with my Vice-Chairs, Secretary, Treasurer, the Academic & Professional Events Coordinator, the Recruitment & Relations Coordinator, and the Social Events Coordinator, our 2023-2024 Lemkin sought to leave a positive impact on the social, professional and academic growth of the students outside their classes. As the attendance of our events grew, and the communications and opportunities widened, I feel proud of all that we as the Board of 2023-2024 have accomplished. We hosted lectures, seminar discussions, social meet-ups, and established contacts with various networks. We also took our first trip outside Uppsala to the Stockolm Holocaust Museum, and made connections with organisations outside of Uppsala. Therefore, my great gratitude goes to all those at the History Department and beyond, students and staff included, who have aided me in this vision to harbour new connections with one another whilst at Uppsala University. Without the Board and our respective Working Groups, many opportunities would have been lost to the students.

Thank you, and all the best of luck to the successor Chair and Board of the coming academic year.
- Mitchel, 15/05/2024