Celebrating 43 Years of Zoryan Institute: Safeguarding Justice Through Scholarship
Dear Zoryan Friend, This is Zoryan’s 43rd new year that we are celebrating with you. It is only through your unwavering support that the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies and the Zoryan Institute have risen to the forefront of genocide, human rights, and diaspora studies, setting a benchmark for academic excellence.
With this letter, we call on you to continue your essential and unwavering support to sustain Zoryan as a fully independent research and analysis center. Zoryan’s unique ownership, mandate, and governance—free from government, university, political, or religious influence—make it an unparalleled institution in the fields of genocide, human rights, and diaspora studies. However, without your continued support and a robust endowment fund, Zoryan’s future is at serious risk. The recent closure of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University, due to budgetary constraints, serves as a sobering reminder of the precarious situation that Zoryan Institute faces. Together, we can ensure Zoryan, a pioneering institute in genocide studies, remains a beacon of academic excellence and independent thought in educating and raising awareness on justice and human dignity.
In 2024, the Zoryan Institute proudly marked the 23rd year of its Genocide and Human Rights University Program (GHRUP) at the University of Toronto. This flagship program has now produced over 500 alumni, including approximately 75 professors teaching in 43 countries, amplifying Zoryan’s influence and impact on a global scale. This year, Zoryan achieved remarkable milestones, including the launch of Season 3 of Dispersion, a powerful podcast that explores the shared and distinct experiences of diasporas, as well as hosting two impactful panels during Genocide Awareness Week at Arizona State University. These panels focused on the Erasure and Revitalization of Indigenous Cultures and Languages and Collective and State Violence in Turkey: The Construction of a National Identity from Empire to Nation State. Zoryan further advanced scholarly discourse through the continued publication of its prestigious journals, Genocide Studies International and Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, and added a groundbreaking research book on the South Asian Diaspora to its Diaspora Collection series. In a significant step forward, the Institute is also proud to welcome Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, former President of the International Criminal Court (2018-2021), to Zoryan’s Academic Board. These accomplishments are a testament to Zoryan’s unwavering commitment to excellence in education, research, publication, and fostering global dialogue on critical issues of human rights and justice
As we gather to celebrate this holiday season, the stark reality remains that approximately 120 million people around the world are displaced. Among them are 8.7 million Sudanese, 3.7 million Ukrainians, and over 130,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh—forced to flee their ancestral homeland entirely, victims of Azerbaijani aggression enabled by Turkey. These staggering numbers remind us of the urgent need to address the crises driving such immense human suffering and displacement.
In light of the above, we urgently implore you to reaffirm your commitment and sustain your vital support. Without it, the Institute risks not only losing its independence as a leading educational and research center dedicated to scholarship, truth, justice, and human rights but also facing the same fate as the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University. Your continued dedication is essential to safeguarding Zoryan’s mission and ensuring its critical work endures.
