Monday, April 13 - Thursday, April 16, 2026 Online and In-Person
Authoritarianism, Human Rights, and the Future of Genocide Prevention
GAW 2026 will examine some of the ways in which the global retreat from democracy and new authoritarianism connect with historic and contemporary cases of genocide. In the present era, the world is experiencing a resurgence in extremism, exclusionary nationalism and authoritarianism. At the same time, democracies, even longstanding, stable ones, have experienced erosion and backsliding in democratic processes, practices and institutions. These trends are highly concerning given that authoritarian states are particularly prone to genocide and mass violence.
For more information, visit: jewishstudies.asu.edu/GAW2026
Rosenbluth Family Charitable Foundation Genocide
Awareness Week (GAW) is a week-long event seeking to address how we, as a global society, confront violent actions, threats of genocide and mass atrocity crimes, throughout the world, while also looking to the past for guidance and to honor those affected by genocide.
Monday, April 13, 2026
1 - 1:15 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
1:15 - 2:15 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
Welcome and Introduction of Program
• Jeffrey Cohen (Arizona State University)
• Stanley Mirvis (Arizona State University)
• Tim Langille (Arizona State University)
Survivor Testimony: Indigenous Peoples
• Ken Duncan, San Carlos Apache Tribe
2:15 - 3:15 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
3:15 - 3:30 PM
3:30 - 5:00 PM Coor Hall, 4403
Democracy and Genocide
• Lenka Bustikova (University of Florida)
• Donald Fixico (Arizona State University)
Break
From 1915 to ISIS: Genocide, Massacres, and the Ongoing Struggle of the Assyrian People
• Sabro Bengaro (University of Texas at Dallas)
• Steven Jacobs (University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa)
• Karmella Borashan, Assyrian International Council
6:30 - 7:30 PM
Armstrong Hall
1100 S McAllister Ave, Tempe NO ZOOM
Please Note:
ASU School of Social Transformation
John P. Frank Memorial Lecture: Is it Fascism Yet?
• Jason Stanley (University of Toronto, Canada)
*All times are listed according to Arizona time. If you are joining us online, please research the time difference between Arizona and where you are located to make sure you join us at the correct time.
** Not all sessions will be available on Zoom. Please pay special attention to the time column which contains that information.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
9:00 - 10:00 AM
Coor Hall, 4403
10:00 - 11:00 AM
Coor Hall, 4403
11:00 - 11:15 AM
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Coor Hall, 4403 NO ZOOM
12:00 - 12:45 PM
12:45 - 2:00 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
Survivor Testimony: Holocaust
• Kathy Gross
Book Presentation: “Lethal Elites: The Institutions and Professionals That Made the Holocaust Possible”
• Alex Alvarez (Northern Arizona University)
Break
Student Panel: Memory and Living with the Legacy of Surviving Genocide
• Moderator: Chris Holman (Arizona State University)
Lunch
Authoritarianism and Institutional Complicity
• Steve Remy (Brooklyn College, CUNY)
• Meghan Riley (Northern Arizona University)
2:00 - 2:15 PM
2:15 - 3:30 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
3:30 - 4:00 PM
4:00 - 6:00 PM
Mirabella
65 E University Dr, Tempe NO ZOOM
Break
Religion, Authoritarianism and Genocide
• Kate Temoney (Montclair State University)
• Kyle Jantzen (Ambrose University, Canada)
Break
Yom HaShoah Commemoration
• Steve Remy (Brooklyn College, CUNY)
• Hannah Creviston (Arizona State University)
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
9:00 - 10:00 AM
Coor Hall, 4403
10:00 - 10:15 AM
10:15 - 11:30 AM
Coor Hall, 4403
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Ross-Blakely Hall, Room 196
1102 S McAllister Ave, Tempe NO ZOOM
1:30 - 1:45 PM
1:45- 2:45 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
Survivor Testimony: Sudan
• Tarteel Alimam
Break
Technology and Genocide
• Maureen Hiebert (University of Calgary, Canada) via Zoom
Art Exhibit: Blackbird Fly
• Antoinette Cauley, Phoenixbased Artist
Break
The US Civil Rights Movement: Black American Resistance to Authoritarianism
• Antoinette Cauley, Phoenixbased Artist
• Jessica Salow (Arizona State University)
2:45 - 3:00 PM
3:00 - 4:15 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
4:15 - 4:30 PM
4:30 - 6:00 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
Break
Student and Scholar Session: The Future of Genocide Studies
• Alex Alvarez (Northern Arizona University)
Break
Keynote: The Walls We Build: Division, Dehumanization, and the Risk of Genocide
• James Waller (University of Connecticut)
Thursday, April 16,
2026
9:00 - 10:00 AM
Coor Hall, 4403
10:00 - 10:15 AM
10:15 - 11:30 AM
Coor Hall, 4403
Survivor Testimony: Bosnia
• Nejra Sumic
Break
Authoritarianism and the Struggle for the Past
• Henry Theriault (Worcester State University)
• Amy Sodaro (Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY)
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Coor Hall, 4403 NO ZOOM
1:00 - 2:15 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
Jewish Studies Lunch and Discussion Topic: Genocide’s Impact on Jewish History
• Stanley Mirvis (Arizona State University)
The Armenian Genocide and the Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh
• Barlow Der Mugrdechian (California State University, Fresno)
• Bedross Der Matossian (University of Nebraska)
2:15 - 2:30 PM
2:30 - 3:45 PM Coor Hall, 4403
3:45 - 4:00 PM
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Coor Hall, 4403
Break
Plenary Session: Through the Looking Glass Darkly—The Dirty Little Wars of the 21st Century
• David Michael Crane (American University)
Break
Closing Address: How and Why Genocide Challenges Conventional Thinking about Warfare and Civilian Casualties
• A. Dirk Moses (City College of New York, CUNY)
The 2026 Rosenbluth Family Charitable Foundation Genocide Awareness Week would not be possible without support from our sponsors:
This event is proudly presented by the following Arizona State University units and centers:
• Center for Jewish Studies
• School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies
• School of Social Transformation