Over the next year, the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (WCEE) at the University of Michigan’s International Institute will be collaborating with The Reckoning Project: Ukraine Testifies to create a “Lasting Memorial” of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The project brings together U-M faculty and students to collate and code data about potential war crimes collected by Ukrainian journalists and researchers. This data will be analyzed for archival and legal purposes, and ultimately will contribute to war memorials.
The Reckoning Project: Ukraine Testifies is an NGO comprised of journalists and legal experts that strives to bridge the gap between accessible but accurate war reporting and admissible legal evidence. Co-founded by Janine di Giovanni, a war reporter and investigator with over 35 years of experience, and Peter Pomerantsev, a Ukrainian-born journalist and an expert on disinformation and propaganda, The Reckoning Project pursues two main goals:
- To record and disseminate Ukrainians’ stories to international audiences, to ensure the world remains engaged and informed about Russia’s aggression; and
- To collect and verify evidence for justice and accountability processes, including international justice mechanisms.
To achieve both goals, the Project partners with WCEE under the direction of Primary Investigator Geneviève Zubrzycki, professor of sociology and WCEE director. The Reckoning Project at WCEE will include teams focused on research, law, translation, and memory. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shocked the world, drawing attention even from those not invested in the region,” said Professor Zubrzycki. “This collaboration stands to bring attention to war crimes happening in the heart of Europe, and U-M students and faculty experts who assist the project not only stand to assist this effort, but also learn valuable skills through their research.”
The Reckoning Project at WCEE publicly launches on September 21 with a lecture by Janine di Giovanni titled, “Investigative Journalists and the Documentation of War Crimes.” She will share her experiences as a war correspondent, author, and educator to highlight the challenges of human rights violations and other abuses against civilian populations in conflict areas, including Ukraine.
WCEE Lecture: Investigative Journalists and the Documentation of War Crimes
Wednesday, September 21, 5:00 PM
1010 Weiser Hall, 500 Church Street
Zoom webinar at myumi.ch/XVM23
Learn more about The Reckoning Project at WCEE at ii.umich.edu/wcee/reckoning-project.
Contact: Rachel Brichta | rfacey@umich.edu
The Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (WCEE) supports faculty and student research, teaching, collaboration, and public engagement in studying the institutions, cultures, and histories of these regions. WCEE is comprised of the Center for European Studies (CES); Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES); and Copernicus Center for Polish Studies (CCPS); and works in association with the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies (WCED) at the University of Michigan International Institute. For more information, visit ii.umich.edu/wcee.
