Celebrating 25 Years of Resistance Through Remembrance Letter from the Executive Director
The Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island is a long-term ICSC member. As America’s premier federal immigration station for over 60 years, Ellis Island processed some 12 million immigrant steamship passengers. Today, more than 40 percent of America’s population can trace its ancestry through Ellis Island, and the museum’s exhibits focus on this shared history.
Dear Friends,
Since its founding 25 years ago, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) has revolutionized the way individuals, communities and governments respond to histories of harm. By breaking silences about past atrocities and systemic injustices, ICSC makes a bolder, better world possible – a world where: Survivors share their own stories, Women and other marginalized groups promote and defend their truths, And perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes.
Over the last 25 years, we have grown our global network to encompass nearly 400 historic sites, museums, memory initiatives and archives in over 80 countries – each dedicated to helping communities confront the past in order to establish more just and equitable tomorrows. These Sites of Conscience are unique spaces, outside of societies’ typical bubbles. They collectively host over 30 million visitors a year from across the political spectrum, in rural areas and cities. With ICSC’s support, they offer critical opportunities for visitors to learn more inclusive histories; to engage in creative programs and productive conversations that foster understanding, compassion and mutual respect; and to celebrate our shared humanity and democratic values.
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