Standing for justice. Building resilience. Creating hope.
Genocide leaves deep scars—not only on survivors but on the world we share. Families are torn apart, cultures are silenced, and generations are left struggling to heal. Yet from these places of pain, survivors are rising to build resilience, seek justice, and create spaces of healing and hope.
The Alliance of Genocide Victim Communities (AGVC) exists to support this work. We bring together survivors, advocates, and allies to:
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Amplify survivor voices so their stories are never forgotten.
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Push for justice and accountability to prevent future atrocities.
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Create cultural and educational programs that inspire awareness and understanding.
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Provide spaces of healing and solidarity that strengthen individuals, families, and communities.
Your support makes this possible. By giving today—whether once or monthly—you become a partner in resilience and a voice for justice.
AGVC is formed by survivors and descendants from eight communities—Uyghur, Tigray, Hazara, Tamil, Tutsi, Tibetan, Yazidi, and Rohingya—but our mission is one that belongs to everyone.
Together, with allies like you, we can rise against hate and build a future rooted in dignity, justice, and hope.
💙 Your gift helps strengthen lives
and communities. Together, we rise.
Across the globe, communities like the Uyghurs, Hazaras, Tamils, Tigrayans, Tibetans, and Tutsis face genocide and mass atrocities. Canada must not look away.
The Alliance of Genocide Victim Communities (AGVC) is calling on all MPs and political leaders to take a clear stand and commit to:
✅ Targeted sanctions on perpetrators
✅ Criminal prosecutions under Canada’s War Crimes Act
✅ Safe resettlement for survivors
✅ A Special Envoy on Genocide Prevention
✅ Strong action against repression, disinformation, and forced labour
✅ Recognition of ongoing genocides—including those of Hazaras and Tigrayans
In the face of genocide, silence is complicity.
Let's make Canada a leader in justice. Sign our letter here.
Not Forgotten: Genocide and Creative Resistance
Join us for a conversation alongside Echoes of Resilience: A Tapestry of Survival, the Genocide Prevention 25 art exhibit still on display at the Human Rights Research and Education Centre in Fauteux Hall. This session explores how survivor communities use art and creativity to resist erasure, preserve memory, and demand justice in the wake of genocide.
Members of the Alliance of Genocide Victim Communities, a coalition representing Hazara, Rohingya, Tamil, Tibetan, Tigrayan, Tutsi, Uyghur and Yazidi communities, will share reflections on the exhibit and the innovative, creative work being done both within the alliance and across their global networks.
As part of the program, we will also mark September 25, which Canada’s Subcommittee on International Human Rights has recommended be recognized as the National Day of Remembrance for the Hazara Genocide. To honor this day, representatives of the Hazara community will share an update on the current situation in Afghanistan and the urgent challenges their community continues to face.
Great thanks to our partners at The Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC).
Speakers
Samphe Lhalungpa is Chair of the Canada Tibet Committee and a former UNICEF executive with more than two decades of UN service in Asia, Africa, and Central Asia. He has also worked in Canada’s federal public service and serves on cultural institutions such as the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art. Drawing on both lived experience and a long career in international development, he brings a valuable perspective on how Tibetans have resisted erasure since their experience of genocide.
Mehmet Tohti is a prominent Uyghur Canadian human rights advocate based in Ottawa. Born in Kashgar (East Turkistan), he lived in China, where he taught biology at Kashgar University until forced to flee his homeland at age 26. In Canada, he has co-founded the World Uyghur Congress and now serves as Executive Director of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, where he led the lobbying efforts that secured a House of Commons declaration calling China’s treatment of Uyghurs “genocide.” In recognition of his relentless dedication, he was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal
Kidane Gebremariam is a respected leader in the Tigrayan community and a long-time human rights advocate. He is the former President of Security and Justice for Tigrayans Canada and currently serves as a member of the Tigray Canada Institute for Development, a charitable organization supporting recovery and resilience efforts in Tigray. Based in Ottawa, he has testified multiple times before Canada’s Subcommittee on International Human Rights and continues to be a key voice in shaping the public and political response to atrocity crimes.
John Jonaid is a Rohingya-born human rights journalist and advocate based in Ottawa. A refugee who fled Myanmar in 2013, he co-founded Archipelago Magazine and the Humans in Flight project to amplify refugee voices. His writing has appeared in outlets such as the BBC, CBC, Al Jazeera, and OpenCanada, where he highlights the realities of genocide, displacement, and justice.
Dr. Tahir Shaaran is a physicist and academic at the University of Toronto, originally from Afghanistan. An award-winning scholar, he earned the Carey-Foster Prize for his advanced research in strong-field and attosecond physics. He previously served as Director-General of Afghanistan’s Nuclear Energy Agency and is an active member of the Canadian Hazara Advocacy Group, where he works to amplify the voices of Hazara communities in Canada and abroad. He brings both scientific rigor and lived commitment to justice to this conversation on genocide and creative resistance.
As we call for recognition of the National Day of Remembrance for the Hazara Genocide, we also welcome:
Masooma Khawari has over 12 years of experience in governance and policymaking. She served as Afghanistan’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology and as Senior Adviser for Women’s Affairs in the Chief Executive Office. For nine years, she was a Member of Parliament, contributing to key commissions on Women’s Affairs, Human Rights and Civil Society, Judicial and Legal Affairs, and Counter-Corruption. A dedicated human rights and women’s rights activist, she now works actively with Canadians and the Afghan community in Canada to promote justice and equality.
Special Guests:
Ali Ehsassi is a Canadian Liberal Member of Parliament for Willowdale, first elected in 2015. In Parliament, he has held key roles, including Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, and has served as Parliamentary Secretary on Canada–U.S. trade and intergovernmental affairs. He is widely recognized for his leadership on international issues and his strong advocacy for human rights, notably as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.
Professor John Packer is Associate Professor of Law and former Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa, where he also holds the Neuberger-Jesin Chair in International Conflict Resolution. With over 30 years of experience, he has advised peace processes and political transitions in more than fifty countries, including work with the UN, OSCE, ILO, and UNHCR. From 1995 to 2004, he was Senior Legal Adviser and the first Director of the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. His teaching, research, and advocacy have made significant contributions to the development of international peace mediation and the protection of human rights.
📍 Where: Human Rights Research and Education Centre, Fauteux Hall (5th floor), University of Ottawa.
When: 1 PM-3PM, September 25th 2025
Space is limited and registration is required!
Echoes of Resilience: A Tapestry of Survival
Exploring the transformative power of art—moving from memory and reflection towards actionable change.
“Echoes of Resilience” serves as both a memorial and an educational beacon—an art collection that not only honors the painful histories of genocide but also celebrates the unyielding spirit and cultural richness of the Tigrayan, Uyghur, Hazara, Tamil, Tibetan and Tutsi communities.
This thoughtful synthesis of art and history is intended to inspire reflection, dialogue, and ultimately, hope for a future defined by understanding and unity.
📍 Where: Human Rights Research and Education Centre, Fauteux Hall (5th floor), University of Ottawa.
When: March 30th - September 30th 2025
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The Role of Misinformation and Disinformation in the :
The Alliance of Genocide Victim Communities (AGVC) is dedicated to preventing and ending genocide through a multifaceted approach that includes awareness raising, advocacy, justice and accountability, education, and evidence collection and documentation.
We envision a world where genocide is no longer a threat, and where all people can live in peace, dignity, and freedom.
To achieve our goals, we will:
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Raise awareness about the reality and consequences of genocide, and the urgent need to prevent and respond to it.
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Hold perpetrators of genocide accountable for their crimes, and seek justice for victims and survivors.
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Educate the public about the history and dynamics of genocide, and empower individuals and communities to take action to prevent it.
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Celebrate the ongoing existence of every genocide victim community’s people and culture.
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Advocate for coherent and consistent human rights policies in Canada, and work with policymakers to ensure that human rights are protected and promoted both domestically and internationally.
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Work to prevent genocide by identifying and addressing the root causes of violence and discrimination, and promoting tolerance, diversity, and inclusivity.
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Collect and document evidence of genocide, and use this evidence to support legal proceedings, advocacy efforts, and public awareness campaigns.
The Alliance of Genocide Victim Communities is committed to building a strong, diverse, peaceful and inclusive movement to prevent and end genocide and to ensure that the voices of survivors and victims are heard and respected.
Genocide Prevention 25
A Genocide Remembrance, Prevention and Condemnation Event
March 30th 2025- April 30th 2025
In a world where the shadows of past genocides linger and the threat of new atrocities looms, we, the Alliance of Genocide Victim Communities stand united in our commitment to remembrance, justice, and prevention. The "Genocide Prevention 25" conference, seminar and art exhibit serves as a clarion call to confront the enduring impact of genocide on communities within Canada and to forge a path toward a future free from such horrors.
Reverberate | A Genocide Prevention Conference | Sunday, March 30th, Univeristy of Ottawa.
Art Exhibit exploring the genocide experiences of Uyghur, Tutsi, Tibetan, Tigrayan, Hazara and Tamil communities. | Sunday March 30th - Wednesday April 30th 2025. University of Ottawa.
Justice, Human Rights and Human Dignity on the Horizon, A Parliamentary Seminar. Our call to action for Canadian Parliamentarians and Parliamentary Candidates from Canadian survivors of atrocity crimes during an election season. | Monday, March 31st | 10 AM - 11 AM ET | University of Ottawa.
Genocide Prevention 25 is brought to you by The Alliance of Genocide Victim Communities and funded by Heritage Canada.
The Honourable Ali Ehsassi,
Member of Parliament and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Community Representative Speakers:
Dr. Tahir Shaaran - Hazara
Mehmet Tohti - Uyghur
Makeda Leul - Tigray
Roy Wignarajah - Tamil
Sherap Therchin - Tibet
Pascal Kenyemera - Tutsi
Moderated by Joanne M Hodges and James Joseph
Voices for Justice
Empowering Change to Remember, Condem and Prevent Genocide
April 17th 2024
AGVC 2024 Press Conference
Assessing the PRC's Assimilation Policies in Tibet
Ibuka Canada's launch
Opening day ceremony of the
third parliament’s tenth direct session
of the
Transnational Government of Tamileelam
Allies Combating Uyghur Forced Labour
International Conference on Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
