March 16, 2007: International Conference

Background of the conflict and the world community's responsibility for Darfur

With the campaign week "Darfur: Crimes Against Humanity", the Jewish Museum Berlin hopes to draw public attention to one of today's most brutal conflicts. In keeping with its mission as an institution committed to truthfulness in the face of history, the museum is opening its doors for an examination of events in Darfur.

The international conference, developed in cooperation with Human Rights Watch, addresses the interested public and media representatives as well as decision-makers and experts. Panels will explore the key issues that play into the origins, status and solution of the conflict in Darfur.

Program (Status on march 14, 2007, subject to alterations)

We will shortly add audio files and abstracts of the conference speeches on this page

Program (PDF, 230 KB, Status on march 14, 2007)
Short biographies of the panelists as pdf file (270 KB)

9.30 am
Welcome: Prof. Dr. W. Michael Blumenthal (Director of the Jewish Museum Berlin)
Carroll Bogert (Associate Director, Human Rights Watch)

9.40 am
Opening Speech: Gerhart R. Baum, former Minister of the Interior, former UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Sudan

10 to 11.30 am
Panel 1: Origins and repercussions of the Darfur crisis for Sudan and the region

• Adrio Bacchetta, General Director, Doctors Without Borders
• Leslie Lefkow, Special Initiatives Researcher, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch
• Salih Mahmoud Osman, lawyer in Sudan
• Thilo Thielke, Africa correspondent, DER SPIEGEL
• Moderator: Dr. Petra Lidschreiber, Head of the Department for Central and Eastern Europe, rbb Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg

12 to 1.30 pm
Panel 2: Human rights violations in Sudan and international law

• Prof. Dr. Herta Däubler-Gmelin, MP, Chair of the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid (Keynote)
• Prof. Dr. Omer Bartov, John P. Birkelund Distinguished Professor of European History, Brown University
• Leslie Lefkow, Special Initiatives Researcher, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch
• Prof. Dr. Michael Naumann, former Minister of State
• Moderator: Prof. Dr. Micha Brumlik, Institute for Educational Science, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main

3 pm
Panel 3: What must the international community do to solve the crisis?

• Kerstin Müller, MP, Foreign Affairs Speaker of the Alliance 90/The Greens parliamentary group (Keynote)
• Khédidja Bourcart, Vice Mayor of the City of Paris, member of the Green party and Manifeste des libertés
• Lotte Leicht, Director of the EU office, Human Rights Watch
• John Prendergast, Senior Adviser, International Crisis Group
• Dr. Hans-Joachim Preuß, Secretary General, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe
• Moderator: Marianne Heuwagen, Director of the Berlin office, Human Rights Watch

The conference languages will be German and English; simultaneous interpreting will be available.
Attendance is free of charge.

Please apply in writing to Juliane Grossmann.
E-mail: j.grossmann@jmberlin.de
Tel.: +49 (0)30 259 93 442
Fax: +49 (0)30 259 93 498

When: Friday, 16 March 2007, 9.30 am to 5 pm
Where: Jewish Museum Berlin, Old Building, 2nd level, Concert Hall, Lindenstr. 9-14, 10969 Berlin