Education for Change will serve as a resource for education about crimes against humanity and genocide as defined by the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide (1948) and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998). We will actively promote education about these crimes, both past and present, and also facilitate the transformation of education into political engagement. This goal will be accomplished primarily, though not exclusively, through workshops aimed at Canadian high school students.

Our educational programs are designed to develop the leadership potential of young Canadians and to inspire sensitivity to and understanding of the attitudes and values that perpetuate genocide and crimes against humanity. Volunteer facilitators at the university level have been trained and provided with appropriate educational resources developed with experts in the field to permit teachers, administrators and school boards to incorporate the teaching of crimes against humanity and genocides into their curricula.

At the core of a healthy democracy is the ability for citizens to engage in open dialogue about issues of public concern; therefore, we believe that an integral part of educating and training young citizens is the examination of controversial issues. By assisting youth to expand their knowledge and understanding of such issues, we provide them with the skills necessary to challenge discriminatory attitudes and practices and to advance important policy and legislative reforms to enhance human rights protections. With a skill set designed to incorporate a global understanding with a dedication to social action and civic engagement, we aim to empower young Canadians with the confidence to play an active role in both generating and sustaining awareness of historical human rights violations, while working toward the prevention of future crimes against humanity and genocide.