Join Women’s eNews and the Anne Frank Center for a private screening of “I Came to Testify”, the lead documentary in the Women, War and Peace series.

After the screening join a conversation with Kelli Muddell, gender specialist with the ICTJ, Dr. Rochelle Saidel, co-editor of “Sexual Violence against Jewish Women during the Holocaust”, Refik Hodzic from the ICTJ and Vijaya Thakur from the Resolve Network.

When the Balkans exploded into war in the 1990s, reports that tens of thousands of women were being systematically raped by Serb-led forces as a tactic of ethnic cleansing captured the international spotlight. “I Came to Testify” illuminates the momentous courage of two women who survived these atrocities.

This event is produced in partnership with the Anne Frank Center, USA.

Moderator

Kelli Muddell is director of the Gender Justice Program with ICTJ. She has been with ICTJ since it opened its doors in March 2001. In addition to focusing on gender issues, she has also worked on ICTJ’s Sierra Leone country program. Muddell is currently conducting the first study to be done in the field on how transitional justice mechanisms have addressed, or failed to address, the targeting of sexual minorities during periods of conflict.

Panel Bios

Dr. Rochelle Saidel is founder and executive director of The Remember the Women Institute a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that conducts and encourages research and cultural activities that contribute to including women in history. Special emphasis is on women in the context of the Holocaust and its aftermath, including post-World War II immigration. Other topics include women marginalized within Jewish religion and inter-religious dialogue, as well as the accomplishments and exclusion of women in Jewish and general history, the effects of genocide on women, exploitation of women, and the effects of culture on memorialization.

Refik Hodzic is the Director of Communications for the ICTJ. For almost two decades, Hodzic has worked in transitional justice as a journalist, filmmaker as well as an expert in public information and outreach campaigns for international and national courts seeking justice for war crimes. He has focused on post-war justice and media primarily in the former Yugoslavia, Lebanon, and Timor-Leste.

Vijaya Thakur is the Founder and Executive Director of Resolve Network, a grassroots peacebuilding organization working in Eastern Congo. Vijaya has worked on risk assessment and early warning mechanisms for genocide, post-conflict transitional justice, post-conflict reconstruction, and mainstreaming women's empowerment as part of peacebuilding. In her previous capacities as Policy Director for Friends of the Congo, Policy Associate for Genocide Watch, and Policy Associate for the Genocide Intervention Network, Vijaya focused on US Foreign Policy on genocide prevention and intervention. Upon concluding program evaluations of UNDPO projects in Eastern Congo, Vijaya decided to adopt a grassroots approach to peacebuilding in her own work, leading her to found Resolve Network. 

Join Vijaya in a grassroots dialogue on peacebuilding, women's empowerment, development, and all things awesome by following @Thakuraine and @ResolveNetwork 

The Anne Frank Center USA, is a partner organization of the Anne Frank House, uses the diary and spirit of Anne Frank as unique tools to advance her legacy, to educate young people and communities about the consequences of intolerance, racism and discrimination, and to inspire the next generation to build a world based on mutual respect.