“Our intent is to bring genocide home to Maine in ways that make people aware that they, too, have the power to help shape how our state moves ahead as it confronts this awareness of both current and historical harms,” said Charlotte Bacon, executive director of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
“Genocide and ME: Shining the Light of Truth” brought unique perspectives of time and place to Hannaford Hall at the University of Southern Maine (USM) – Portland campus, Nov. 20, 2014. Accompanied by music, poetry and a Q&A, the event focused on three personally rooted talks by
Tom Andrews of United to End Genocide; Monique Mutumwinka of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP); and Maria Girouard of Maine-Wabanaki REACH.
Presented by ILAP, REACH, the TRC and United to End Genocide, this special evening was supported by 19 generous sponsors: the Andrus Family Fund; Sam L. Cohen Foundation; Episcopal Diocese of Maine; Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine; Justice for Women Lecture Series; W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Emanuel & Pauline A. Lerner Foundation; Maine Community Foundation and the associated Broad Reach Fund and People of Color Fund; Maine Council of Churches; Maine Humanities Council; NAACP; Religious Coalition Against Discrimination (RCAD); Salt Institute for Documentary Studies; Doree Taylor Charitable Foundation; USM Muskie School of Public Service; USM Multicultural Student Affairs; and an anonymous donor. Thanks to the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, videos of the presentation are now available. You can also view them on the REACH YouTube channel.
Read more about Genocide and ME in the News Releases section.
Opening remarks by Carole Martin
Poem by Mihku Paul
Testimony from Tom Andrews
Performance by Pihcintu
Testimony from Monique Mutumwinka
Poem by Penthea Burns
Testimony from Maria Girouard
Performance by Maria Girouard, Denise Altvater and Esther Attean
Q&A moderated by Carole Martin
