Martha Minow, chair of Facing History’s Board of Scholars
Martha Minow has been a friend and advisor to Facing History for almost two decades. “Margot Strom came up to me at a meeting about 18 years ago and said that my work had been helpful to hers and we haven’t stopped talking since,” Minow recalls.
“Facing History and Ourselves’ commitments first drew me in; its dynamism and creativity, sense of community and passion for justice and tolerance, exploration of new technologies and commitment to help everyone—teachers, parents, students, staff—learn and grow—keep me drawn in. . . . Given the challenges to the rule of law, human rights, democracy, tolerance and respect across differences across the globe, Facing History has never been more crucial and it inspires me,” she adds.
Martha Minow, the Jeremiah Smith Jr. Professor of Law and newly appointed Dean of Harvard Law School (read Facing History’s announcement here), is the chair of the Facing History and Ourselves International Board of Scholars. The board has been vital in helping guide the development of our publication materials. This group of intellectual leaders enriches our thinking and keeps our work connected to the latest scholarship.
Working with our research and development team, Minow has helped to both inspire and review such materials as our Facing the Truth study guide on South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, case studies in the Making History Series and the story of Raphael Lemkin in particular, as well as many other video and print resources. Minow also leads the Harvard Law School/Facing History and Ourselves Program—a partnership that provides for the study of legal and political resistance to racism, prejudice, and antisemitism with the purpose of using these historical examples to highlight, inform, and guide the present and the future. The initiative includes work to map the levers of power in human rights, civil rights, international law, terrorism, poverty law, and legal history.
Facing History’s partnership with Harvard Law School has led to four conferences. Most recently, Minow co-chaired a 2008 conference hosted by Facing History and Harvard Law School to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (watch Minow’s speech here). Minow’s book Between Vengeance and Forgiveness: Facing History after Genocide and Mass Violence (1999) came out of the 1997 Facing History and Ourselves Human Rights and Justice Conference that was co-hosted by Harvard Law School and Facing History. Minow moderated this conference and spoke about the concept of forgiveness (watch her speech here).
In the words of Facing History’s Executive Director, Margot Stern Strom, Minow “blends a monumental intellect with an equally monumental heart to create a passion for looking at innovative creative legal approaches to create a more human and compassionate society. . . Although I have worked with numerous scholars, I have never encountered anyone who can translate complicated ideas and complex claims into a coherent rational and humane approach, as does Martha Minow.”
Reflecting on how her work at Facing History has impacted her work in the law, Minow says “I learned from working with the wonderful team at Facing History and Ourselves to always bring my full self to intellectual work and to invite others to do the same. Our relationship maps, our passions, our response to music and other arts are vital to the work of deepening respect for humanity, strengthening democratic institutions, and encouraging remarkable acts of learning.”
