Reflections on the absence of reference to the Darfur genocide in the ICRC Museum exhibition raises questions about victims’ rights Student Report by Hashim Mohamed Zakaria
From May 1-11, 2025, I had the privilege of participating in the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) Advanced Internship Program in Geneva, Switzerland. This experience was part of a program sponsored by The Ohio State University and provided a rare opportunity to interact with different UN agencies and international organizations. This intensive training program deepened our understanding of multilateral diplomacy, human rights advocacy, and the workings of the UN system.
Program Overview: The WFUNA Advanced Training Program included a comprehensive curriculum focused on enhancing participants’ skills in diplomacy and advocacy within the UN system. Highlights of the program included: Interactive sessions with diplomats from Permanent Missions to the UN in Geneva, visits to key UN agencies, including the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Health Organization (WHO), World Trade Organization (WTO), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), European Nuclear Research Center (CERN), and others.
These meetings opened up in-depth dialogues on pressing global issues and gave participants a unique opportunity to learn about the work of the UN and its partner organizations.
Visiting the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum is part of the program, so we visited the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Geneva. The museum tells the history of the humanitarian work of the International Red Cross Movement, with powerful exhibits on conflicts, displacement, and genocide on different continents and time periods. While the museum contains moving accounts of suffering and resilience, I was very disappointed that there was no mention of the genocide and ethnic cleansing that continues to take place in the Darfur region, despite the fact that more than twenty-two years have passed since it began against the people of Western Sudan and most recently the Masalit tribe in 2023.
Reflections on the absence of reference to the genocide in the Darfur region in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum’s exhibition raises important questions about the rights of victims and their representation in presenting their cases, preserving the historical memory of genocide, and who tells their stories in global institutions. The genocide, characterized by mass killings, ethnic cleansing, displacement, violence and systematic displacement, represents a major test of international humanitarian law to protect civilians and a critical chapter in modern human history.
As someone with academic ties to Sudan, the absence of information about the genocide in Western Sudan at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum was deeply saddened. The lack of representation of genocide victims in a well-known global humanitarian institution highlights the need for more inclusive narratives that reflect the full spectrum of human suffering and international response. For all victims.
In conclusion, the WFUNA Advanced Training Program in Geneva was a pivotal experience that expanded my knowledge of international relations and human rights diplomacy. However, my visit to the Red Cross Museum highlighted the importance of fair historical representation of peoples and groups facing genocide in different regions of the world.
As global citizens and aspirants for more inclusive and moderate policies in the future, we have a responsibility to ensure that all atrocities against humanity are recognized and documented, regardless of geography or geopolitical interests. Institutions dedicated to humanitarian work should have a responsibility to tell the full story, including stories that are often overlooked.
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