Overview

The Zoryan Institute of Canada Inc. was incorporated in Toronto in 1984 as an independent non-profit research institute. Since its foundation, The Zoryan Institute has maintained an ambitious program of education, publication, and research initiatives and has formed a global community of citizens and scholars dedicated to thinking critically and raising public awareness about genocide, human rights, and diaspora-homeland relations. It seeks to demonstrate the universality of these significant global issues, and challenge prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination as means of preventing future genocides and mass violations of human rights. 

The Zoryan Institute’s work is informed by the systematic continued efforts of independent scholars, and specialists using a comparative and multidisciplinary approach, and in accordance with the highest academic standards. 

Notable Initiatives 

Genocide and Human Rights University Program (GHRUP): Established in 2002, the Genocide and Human Rights University Program helps equip a new generation of scholars to pursue research and publication in genocide and human rights studies, and practice in the prevention of genocide and human rights violations. This annual, intensive, graduate-level course is comparative and interdisciplinary in nature, incorporating genocide theory, history, sociology, political science, anthropology, psychology and international law, and provides participants with the intellectual framework to understand the numerous, complex, and often emotional issues related to genocide.

Promoting Equity, Tolerance, and Reconciliation Through Genocide Education: The Promoting Equity, Tolerance, and Reconciliation Through Genocide Education Program, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education, provides secondary school students in Ontario with a foundational understanding of the numerous, complex, and often emotional issues related to crimes against humanity and genocide. The program’s use of first-hand testimonies from those who experienced genocide humanizes the impacts of genocide in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner and allows students to compare and understand commonalities in the processes and experiences of genocide, and better understand the universality of the phenomenon. By raising awareness about about the multifaceted impacts of genocide, including intergenerational trauma, cultural destruction, mass population displacements, etc., and connecting them to students' own experiences and responsibilities as citizens, this presentation helps facilitate tolerance, intellectual dialogue, and respect for human rights and dignity. 

Dispersion Podcast: Dispersion is a podcast that analyzes and celebrates both the diverse and common experiences of diasporas living away from, and returning to, their homeland. Having published its academic journal in the field of diaspora studies for 30 years, the Zoryan Institute is excited to bring the conversation of diaspora to a new platform. Dispersion introduces important theories, topics, and experiences related to diaspora and transnational studies through casual conversations with people currently or previously living in Canada. Through conversations about identity, home, and belonging with individuals from diverse communities in Canada, Dispersion challenges stereotypes, discrimination, and aims to bring people together.

Aurora’s Sunrise: This forthcoming animated documentary, based on the Zoryan Institute’s original oral history interview with Aurora Mardiganian, an Armenian Genocide survivor, gives viewers unique first-hand insights into her story of displacement, violence, survival, and trauma. It is produced by Bars Media, Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion and Artbox laisvalaikio klubas, with the financial contribution of Eurimages, the Zoryan Institute, National Cinema Center of Armenia, Lithuanian Film Center, ZDF/ARTE, Public TV Armenia, LRT and others.

Oral History: The Zoryan Institute has carried out multiple post-conflict oral history projects, including the ongoing 44-Day Artsakh War Oral History Project. There’s a unique and critical need for oral history in order to give agency to those who lived through some of the most catastrophic human experiences, and to humanize and preserve their stories for future generations. By preserving firsthand accounts that round out written historical records and memoirs, oral history adds meaning and context to historical events, and fills gaps that are not documented in the literature. The Institute’s Armenian Genocide Oral History Collection is the largest collection of Armenian Genocide survivor testimonies.

To learn more about the Zoryan Institute’s initiatives and publications, including its two peer-reviewed academic journals published by the University of Toronto Press, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, and Genocide Studies International, please visit our website.