The War in Syria: abuses of human rights and the destruction of culture

The civil war in Syria has entered its seventh year. With death toll estimates ranging from 220,000 to 400,000 casualties and more than 11 million civilians internally displaced or seeking refuge abroad, it has been described as the world’s deadliest conflict of recent times. In this forum, a panel of experts will explore political, cultural and humanitarian dimensions of the Syrian tragedy. The panel focuses on questions relating to allegations of genocide, the use of archaeological and historical monuments as ‘weapons of war’, and the causes and consequences of failures to prevent atrocity crimes in Syria and elsewhere. The discussion also considers the limitations of our capacity for empathy towards ‘distant others’ and the implications for effective action towards peace and human rights. SPEAKERS - Dr Ross Burns has published two books on the history and monuments of Syria Monuments of Syria (2009); and Damascus; A History (2005). - German born Syrian-American composer and pianist Malek Jandali has spoken at Harvard, Duke and the UN headquarters in New York City. He is the founder of Pianos for Peace, a non-profit which aims to build peace through music and education. - Dr Eyal Mayroz is a Lecturer in the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney. His research interests include Genocide Studies, Counter-terrorism, Human Rights and Middle East Politics. Forum moderated by Wendy Lambourne, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney. Held as part of the Sydney Ideas program on 27 June: http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/war_syria_destruction_culture_human_rights_forum.shtml