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For twenty-five years, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience has helped museums, historic sites and other public spaces become dynamic centers for community engagement through training solutions grounded in the world of thought leaders, educators and human rights advocates around the world. To support these services, ICSC is excited to offer three trainings in the Spring of 2025. These sessions are open to non-members, but special discounts are offered for staff at ICSC member organizations and students. For more information and to register, see below.
Dialogue in Difficult Times
April 7-9, 2025 from 10:00am – 12:00pm (EDT)
Sara Bradshaw and Stacey Garcia
In this fractious time, when political and cultural polarization is rampant in much of the world, it can feel impossible to bring diverse communities together across differences. But it is precisely at times like these that cultural organizations should improve their capacity to do just that.
Dialogue in Difficult Times is designed to give staff at Sites of Conscience and like-minded organizations the theoretical and practical tools they need to build productive, dialogic conversations – that is, modes of communication which intentionally invite people with varied experiences and differing perspectives to engage in an open-ended conversation toward the express goal of personal and collective learning. By the end of the workshop, participants will know exactly what dialogue is and is not, how to craft an “Arc of Dialogue,” and practical ways to both encourage and manage participants’ perspectives, drawing from the work and expertise of ICSC’s 370 members in 70 countries. For more information, please reach out to: Stacey Garcia at sgarcia@sitesofconscience.org.
Healing Through History:
Inspiring Trauma-Informed Transformation
May 13-15, 2025 from 10:00am – 12:00pm (EDT)
Justine Di Mayo and Parusha Naidoo
By confronting the past with honesty and transparency, Sites of Conscience around the globe are helping communities to reconcile with difficult histories and forge more peaceful and equitable futures. In this workshop, participants will learn the strategies and skills needed to ensure this transformative work is trauma-informed and supports individual and communal healing. Drawing on ICSC’s work with communities in Sri Lanka, Guinea, Bangladesh and elsewhere, the workshop will equip participants with a theoretical and practical understanding of the relationship between painful pasts and trauma; an overview of various accessible and replicable techniques that can be helpful when working with communities; and action plans to continue building resilience and hope during even the most challenging times. A special emphasis will be placed on using art methodologies, such as bodymapping and handicrafts. For more information, please reach out to: Parusha Naidoo at pnaidoo@sitesofconscience.org.
Memorialization Now:
Why Working with Communities Matters
May 20-22, 2025 from 10:00am – 12:00pm (EDT)
Sarah Case, Silvia Fernández and Linda Norris
After periods of conflict or traumatic events stemming from systemic injustice, it can be all too easy to neglect the pain of the past and “move on,” but erasing the past in this way can prevent new generations from learning critical lessons and destroy opportunities to build social cohesion. To move forward, we must look back.
In Memorialization Now, ICSC staff will provide participants with a deep understanding of memorialization, or the processes through which memory is perpetuated, and practical tools to engage communities in this work. Participants will also explore key questions to consider when embarking on a memorialization project and effective ways to design memorialization initiatives that catalyze dialogue and connect past to present, drawing from the work and expertise of over 370 members in 70 countries. This workshop is designed for a range of professionals – including historians, activists, urban planners, architects, landscape architects, museum professionals and others – interested in transforming communities through the use of memory, place and action. For more information, please reach out to: Ashley Nelson at anelson@sitesofconscience.org.
Related Material
Training and Advising
For twenty-five years, the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience has helped museums, historic sites and other public spaces become dynamic centers for community engagement through personalized training solutions grounded in the work of thought leaders, educators and human rights advocates around the world. Supported by the time-tested methodologies of over 370 members, our interactive trainings guide your team from insight to implementation, and are designed to suit the unique experience and opportunities at your institution. Learn more about our offerings here.
ICSC In Action: Supporting Museums to Share More Inclusive Stories
The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience recently advised Stenton, a historic house in Philadelphia, on strategies for sharing more inclusive narratives about the site. The collaboration in part led to the Dinah Memorial Project, which launched in 2024. To learn more about the project and ICSC’s role, please visit here.
Interview with ICSC’s Stacey Garcia
We recently sat down with Program Manager Stacey Garcia, who is helping facilitate ICSC’s “Addressing the Silences” project, to talk about how Sites of Conscience and their allies can transform their communities by turning inward and correcting absences in their own collections.