May 22, 2025, TEMPE, AZ: As bombs fall on Gaza, children starve in Sudan, and villages are ravaged in Myanmar, one truth becomes unavoidable: the world is on fire, and doing nothing is no longer an option. With international law being ignored, unless the public is informed, empowered, and engaged, atrocities will continue if they remain unchecked. Can humanity still stop genocide? Can the world hold states accountable? Is there hope?

As global laws are under strain and justice systems are overwhelmed, the Zoryan Institute saw an urgent need to re-engage the public. The Institute sought out an answer to these questions of genocide and accountability by inviting two of the world’s most respected voices in international law, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, former President of the International Criminal Court, and Dr. William Schabas, international law scholar, author, and educator, to respond directly and examine the possibility of hope. Both are members of the Zoryan Institute’s academic board and contributed to the programming at this year’s Genocide Awareness Week (GAW) hosted by Arizona State University, and supported by the Rosenbluth Family Foundation, with a book talk, lecture and keynote address.

In a lecture offered by Dr. Schabas, he provided a thorough overview on the five current genocide-related cases at the International Court of Justice (ICJ): Gambia vs. Myanmar, Ukraine vs. Russia, South Africa vs. Israel, Nicaragua vs. Germany, and Sudan vs. United Arab Emirates.

“These are not criminal trials,” he explained. “They are about states being held accountable under the Genocide Convention.…In the last five years, this has just become a huge subject, and we now have five pending cases at the International Court of Justice based on the Genocide Convention.” He emphasized that this amount of cases on genocide is unprecedented. To learn more, please watch the video below:

Shifting focus, Judge Eboe-Osuji spoke on the global despair over today’s wars and offered a vision for what comes next. “People wonder: is this the end of international order? I say no,” he said. “But we must ask ourselves: what else can we do to enhance the protection of humanity if this sort of madness erupts again in the future.”

He presented the Right to Peace Initiative, a legal and moral effort to establish peace as a fundamental human right. More information is available at the Right to Peace website.

Both speakers also launched timely new books which they discussed in a book talk at GAW:

• End of Immunity, by Judge Eboe-Osuji, on holding world leaders accountable for genocide and war crimes
• The Colour Line, by Dr. Schabas, on race, international law, and justice

For more on their book talks, click the video linked below:

Zoryan Institute also hosted the travelling exhibit “Women and Genocide: From Persecution to Empowerment,” in partnership with the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute. This exhibit explores the universal impact of genocide, the gendered dimensions of such atrocities, and the pivotal role women have played in post-genocide recovery and nation-building.

“This week is about knowledge, action, and hope,” said Dr. Timothy Langille, lead GAW organizer. “And it’s about giving people the tools to help shape a better world.”

This kind of programming does not end here. To support ZI’s committed efforts to educate, inform, and empower the public with tools to confront these conflicts, please click here to donate.