U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to Present Forward-Looking Symposium on Genocide Prevention, Unveil New Poll

Keynote Speaker U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Featuring Chairman of the U.S. National Intelligence Council Christopher Kojm, and CNN Anchor Wolf Blitzer

WASHINGTON, July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, July 24, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, in cooperation with the Council on Foreign Relations and CNN, will present a symposium exploring the challenges of preventing genocide in the 21st Century.  The symposium will be webcast live at act.ushmm.org/endgenocide.

"Sixty seven years after the Holocaust, after which the world vowed 'Never Again,' it is unacceptable that genocide persists," said Museum Chairman Tom Bernstein. "We have learned much from the past about the causes of genocide, and now it is time to also look over the horizon at emerging trends that will impact how these atrocities unfold in years to come. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum hopes this symposium and our ongoing efforts will make a substantial contribution to understanding and preventing genocide and other mass atrocities in the future."

The symposium will feature a keynote address by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and remarks from Christopher Kojm,  chairman of the National Intelligence Council, which is conducting its first-ever estimate on risks of mass atrocities. Symposium participants will include senior leaders from government, think tanks, business, academia, philanthropy, and the genocide prevention field, as well as the next generation of young leaders.

Two panels moderated by CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Washington Post Pulitzer Prize winner Dana Priest will focus on how economic, political, technological, demographic and other trends will affect the risk of mass killing, and on innovative strategies for preventing genocide. Panelists include futurist Peter Schwartz, Holocaust historian Timothy Snyder, military strategist Sarah Sewall, business entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa, CNN Beirut correspondent Arwa Damon, and diplomat Richard Williamson.  

"The Council on Foreign Relations is pleased to cooperate on this important initiative to assess recent efforts to prevent mass atrocities and consider new, innovative responses to preventing future threats of this kind," said CFR President Richard N. Haass. 

The Museum will also unveil the results of a large-scale public opinion poll that will provide new insight into Americans' knowledge of and attitudes towards genocide and prevention, including their perspectives on whether and how the U.S. should engage in recent situations such as Syria and Sudan.

The symposium and poll have been made possible in part by a generous in-kind pro bono contribution from Burson-Marsteller, Penn Schoen Berland, and with support from Palantir Technologies.

For more information visit www.ushmm.org/endgenocide

About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.  Federal support guarantees the Museum's permanent place on the National Mall, and its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors.  For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.

About the Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.  CFR takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.  For more information, visit www.cfr.org.

About CNN Worldwide
CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information.  Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world's most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.  For more information, visit www.CNN.com.

SOURCE United States Holocaust Memorial Museum