2024 The Year in Review Five Lessons Learned about Defending Democracy through the Power of Memory When its founders established the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) in 1999, strengthening democracy was at the heart of their mission and vision. Representing nine historic sites in eight countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, the Czech Republic, England, Russia, Senegal, South Africa and the United States, they knew that in order for democracy to take root, people need to care for it . In ICSC’s founding documents they noted: “[Sites of Conscience have an] obligation to assist the public in drawing connections between the history of [their] sites and their contemporary implications…Stimulating dialogue on pressing social issues and promoting humanitarian and democratic values [is] a primary function.” Twenty-five years later, ICSC is the primary – and often the only – catalyst for democratic civic engagement in countless communities worldwide. By strengthening the capacity of Sites of Conscience and their communities, ICSC works to ensure that citizens from
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