Contact & Information: Society for threatened peoples Switzerland (STP)Shoma Chatterjee (Project Coordinator), Schermenweg 154, CH - 3072 Ostermundigen, Switzerland Tel: ++41 (0)31 939 00 09 / E-Mail: shoma.chatterjee@gfbv.ch / Website: www.gfbv.ch

Photo: Zainap Gashaeva / Chechen Archive

Programme of the international conference

MEMORY, TRUTH AND JUSTICE IN CHECHNYA:The role of human rights archives in combating impunity

Käfigturm Bern, 26 – 27th October 2011

Organised by the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP)

Sponsored by the Open Society Institute

Introduction

Understanding of the role archives have to play within the human rights paradigm has increased dramati-cally in the last decade. Archives preserve not only historical memory, but also historical accountability. In Chechnya, where a protracted war characterised by systematic abuses carried out with impunity has largely been forgotten, safeguarding documentation recording human rights violations and war crimes can provide a crucial entry-point for dealing with human rights in fragile contexts.

In today’s digital age moreover, moving imagery has become a key tool in the fight against human rights violations. This type of documentation plays an increasingly pivotal role at international legal fora, such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Without proper handling and restorative care however, audiovisual materials can rapidly deteriorate - putting invaluable information about rights abuses at risk.

In order to preserve such invaluable documentation, the STP has been working with award-winning Che-chen human rights activist, Zainap Gashaeva, to create an audiovisual archive of the conflict in Chechnya since 1994. These videos are now stored safely in Switzerland, preserved and made available to researchers. The Chechen Archive is a testament to the memory of the people affected by the wars as well as a tool in the pursuit of greater accountability for the grave human rights violations which were committed.

Aim

In marking the occasion of the 6th UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, this conference seeks to elaborate implementable steps for the Chechen Archive and similar initiatives in the fields of producing, maintaining and using human rights archives for public and legal redress. By connecting human rights experts and documentation specialists in a series of expert panels and workshops, participants will have the opportunity to exchange, discuss and develop sustainable strategies on how archives of human rights violations can be used as an instrument to combat impunity and serve the affected communities to safegu-ard collective historical memory. To ensure space for open discussion and exchanges, the conference will be held under Chatham House rules.

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Programme overview

Wednesday, 26th October (part I)

12.30 – 1.15pm: Welcome lunch for conference participants

1.15pmKeynote: Why are we here? Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold, President Society for threatened Peoples / Association Chechen Archive

1.30 – 4.30pmRoundtable: Producing and maintaining audiovisual documentation of human rights violations – best practices and lessons learned

Participants: Ruslan Bazgiev, Collaborator Campaigns and Projects, Society for threatened Peoples, SwitzerlandGrace Lile, Director of Operations and Archives, WITNESS, USACsaba Szilagyi, Head Human Rights Program, Open Society Archives, HungaryAlyona Kozlova, Archivist, Memorial, Russia

Moderator:Shoma Chatterjee, Collaborator Campaigns and Projects, Society for threatened Peoples, Switzerland

This session will bring together archive experts and activists working in the field of human rights docu-mentation. The aim of the session is to discuss best practices in archival methodology for audiovisualdocumentation; legal issues concerning security and access to sensitive data; and international standardsfor documenting human rights violations and witness testimonies.

1.30 – 3pm: Presentations and framework for discussion

3 – 3.15pm: Coffee break

3.15 – 4.30pm: Discussion and summary of conclusions

4.30pm: Close

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Wednesday, 26th October (part II)

5.30 – 7.30pmPodium discussion: The role of human rights archives in combating impunityThis session will bring together prominent experts working in the field of archives, transitional justice andhuman rights in fragile contexts. The aim of the session is to discuss the role of Switzerland and internati-onal institutions in supporting archives and their role in dealing with the past. The growing significanceof documentation, in particular moving imagery, to advocate for accountability and combat impunity forgrave human rights violations will also be addressed.

5.30pm: Open and film screening

6 – 7pmPodium speakers:Walter Kälin, Professor of international and constitutional law, University of Bern, SwitzerlandElisabeth Baumgartner, Senior Advisor, Dealing with the Past Program, Swisspeace, SwitzerlandZainap Gashaeva, Award-winning Chechen Human Rights Activist, Collaborator Society for threatened Peop-les, Russia/ Switzerland

Moderator:Gregor Sonderegger, Deputy Head of News, Swiss National Television, Switzerland

7 – 7.30pm: Discussion

7.30pm: Reception and close

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Thursday, 27th October

9am: Summary and wrap-up of previous day

9.15am – 12.30pmPanels: Memory, truth and justice – preserving a peoples story of repression and advocating for accountability

Participants:Tanya Lokshina, Senior Researcher, Human Rights Watch, Russia (to be confirmed)Ilya Utmelidze, Collaborator and Legal Advisor of the Natalya Estemirova Documentation Centre, Norway Elena Ivanova Mijango Guzmán, Archive Researcher, Guatemalan National Police Archive, Guatemala

Moderator: Irena Brezhna, Author, Journalist and Chechen Expert, Switzerland

9.15 – 10.15amPanel I: The right to know - preserving the historical record for public redressThis session will bring together experts to discuss the role and obligations of a State to safeguard histori-cal memory and make documentation of State repression available for public redress. The aim of the sessionis to explore possibilities for preserving the historical record and the role of civil society in advocating foraccountability by analysing best practices in these fields.

10.15 – 10.45am: Discussion

10.45 – 11am : Coffee break

11am – 12pmPanel II: The right to justice –accountability for crimes committed with impunity

Participants:Andreas Schüller LL.M. (adv.), European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights(ECCHR), GermanyUsam Baysaev, Collaborator of the Natalya Estemirova Documentation Centre, Norwegian Helsinki Commit-tee, ChechnyaMinkail Ezhiev, Head of the Human Rights Centre of the Chechen Republic, Chechnya

Moderator:Marcel von Arx, Programme Officer Dealing with the Past, Swisspeace, Switzerland

This session will bring together experts in the fields of transitional justice, universal jurisdiction and Statereview mechanisms at the international level. The aim of the session is to analyse possibilities for theinternational community to pursue greater accountability for human rights violations when the State inquestion is unwilling or unable to do so itself.

12 – 12.30pm: Discussion

12.30pm: Lunch

2 – 4.30pmNext steps: A common vision for fighting impunity in ChechnyaParticipants will be presented with a summary of the preceeding two days sessions and be invited to joindiscussion groups on the main themes of the conference. The aim of this session is to elaborate concretesteps and an implementable strategy for fighting impunity in Chechnya.

Moderator: Angela Mattli, Head of Campaigns and Projects, Society for threatened Peoples, Switzerland

4.30pm: Farewell

Conference registration form

International conferenceMEMORY, TRUTH AND JUSTICE IN CHECHNYA: The role of human rights archives in combating impunity

October 26th and 27th, Käfigturm Bern, Switzerland

Please send registration form to:Society for threatened peoples Switzerland (STP)Schermenweg 154CH-3072 Ostermundigen

or via Fax: ++41 31 939 00 19or via E-Mail: shoma.chatterjee@gfbv.ch

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Registration information:

Name: ...............................................................................................

Organisation: .....................................................................................

Address: ............................................................................................

Country: ............................................................................................

E-mail address / telephone: .................................................................

Please indicate the sessions you would like to attend:

❒ Session 1: Roundtable: Producing and maintaining audiovisual documentation of human rights violations – best practices and lessons learnedOctober 26th, 1.30 – 4.30 pm

❒ Session 2: Public podium discussion: The role of human rights archives in combating impunityOctober 26th, 5.30 – 7.30 pm

❒ Session 3: Panel I: The right to know - preserving the historical record for public redressOctober 27th, 9.15 – 10.45 am

❒ Session 4: Panel II: The right to justice –accountability for crimes committed with impunityOctober 27th, 11 am – 12.30 pm

❒ Session 5: Working groups: Next steps: A common vision for fighting impunity in ChechnyaOctober 27th, 2 – 4.30 pm

Please note that the number of participants is limited. The deadline for registration is 12th October 2011.There is no conference fee, but there will be a collection to cover the costs of the conference.