New Scholarships On A First Come First Served Basis For Summer 2006 Students


GHRUP Graduating Class 2006 with Select Professors and Organizers

The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (IIGHRS) (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) is pleased to announce the availability of new scholarship funding for selected students attending the Genocide and Human Rights University Program (GHRUP) in Toronto, July 31-August 11, 2006. Accordingly, the application deadline has been extended to Monday June 26, 2006 and eligible students are advised to register immediately.

“We have recently received donations and grants which have enabled us to increase scholarships opportunities for deserving students,” stated Dr. Roger W. Smith, Director of the GHRUP. “Such support affirms the universal benefit of this unique program, which exposes students to the value of international law and justice and increases their awareness of the nature of genocide, the importance of human rights and the necessity of genocide prevention.”

“We are most grateful for this recent support, including $5,000 from the Agemian Organization, one complete sponsorship for a student from South America by Diran Avedian, a $4,000 allocation out of a $10,000 grant by Babayan Foundation, $1,000 from the Canadian Armenian Business Council of Ontario, $5,000 from The Gilmour Foundation, $5,000 from the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (an agency of the Canadian Government), $7,500 from Vahan and Susie Kololian, and $7,500 from Andre and Seza Nazarian. We hope that other individuals and organizations will also come forward to provide help for more students, for whom the cost of the course is prohibitive,” commented George Shirinian, Executive Director of the IIGHRS.

Some of the scholarships are specified to cover the cost of tuition and accommodation, including breakfast, for selected students for the following nationals, both in their home country and/or diaspora: Armenia, Bosnia, Israel, Rwanda, South America, and Turkey.

This two-week, interdisciplinary program provides participants with the intellectual framework for understanding the numerous, complex, and often emotional issues related to genocide and gross human rights violations. An examination of several major case studies, including the Armenian, Jewish, Cambodian and Rwandan Genocides, provides the foundation for comparative analysis. Students attending the course have the option of receiving four graduate semester credits from the University of Minnesota.

To be eligible, candidates must be currently enrolled in an accredited university, and have completed at least their junior (3rd) undergraduate year. Selection will be based on a combination of strength of interest, scholastic aptitude, and relevance of the course to the candidate’s future. Applicants should send a brief explanation of why they deserve a scholarship, along with the other required documents found under the Registration section at www.genocidestudies.org.

The mission of the Genocide and Human Rights University Program is to help develop a new generation of scholars to engage in research and publication in the field of genocide and human rights studies. The program strives to show, through the study and sharing of the genocidal traumas of many peoples, that genocide and the gross violation of human rights is a universal human experience and that, as such, it must be the concern of all individuals and institutions. The program will appeal to a wide variety of students interested in various cases of genocide and the broader issues of human rights.

Details and registration information, as well as how to donate, are available on the program's web site, www.genocidestudies.org. For more information, contact the IIGHRS (A Division of The Zoryan Institute), 416-250-9807, admin@genocidestudies.org.