Former fellows were left stunned by what they believe is a major loss to Concordia’s global standing.
Concordia University terminated its internationally recognized Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) on Nov. 1.
Concordia is shutting MIGS down, and financial constraints are shouldering the bulk of the blame. The university recorded a near-$31-million deficit at the conclusion of the last fiscal year. According to Concordia University deputy spokesperson Julie Fortier, the annual cost to host MIGS was approximately $300,000.
However, some fellows disagree with the university’s decision.
“For me, that’s both callous and irresponsible,” said Diego Osorio, former MIGS fellow. “They effectively silenced a crucial part of Canada’s civil society, which contributed to Montreal’s role as a hub for global engagement.”
MIGS’s mission consisted largely of drawing attention to human rights violations and atrocities in the world for governments and the general public alike. They published reports and hosted events involving policymakers, journalists, writers, foreign ambassadors, and more.
“MIGS wasn’t a traditional research institute. It was more like a ‘do tank’ — it convened thought leaders from across the globe, from the States, Europe, and elsewhere,” said former institute fellow Eric Meerkamper.
MIGS was particularly renowned for its Will to Intervene (W2I) project, dedicated to developing pragmatic measures that non-governmental organizations and powerful business executives could follow to pressure policymakers towards prioritizing concrete strategies aimed at genocide prevention. This initiative culminated in a seminal 2009 report entitled Mobilising the Will to Intervene, which involved over 80 interviews with legislators in Canada and the United States. Some of the report’s recommendations were subsequently implemented by the Obama administration.
Among its other important projects, the institute collected previously unavailable memoirs and diary entries of Holocaust survivors, which were subsequently stored in the Concordia University Archives.
“Thanks to MIGS, Concordia was an international powerhouse in human rights studies and genocide prevention,” said Ryan Cronsberry, a former intern who worked on W2I.
The decision to shut down MIGS at this juncture was perplexing for many involved with the institute, given a rise in global concern for genocidal acts and war crimes.
“Financial reasons may be a factor, but it’s not the full story,” said Diego Osorio, former MIGS fellow.
In an email, Fortier explained that some of the focus of human rights researchers at Concordia diverged from the work of the MIGS, or that they wanted to approach certain topics from different perspectives compared to the MIGS.
“While we value the advocacy work done by MIGS over the years, as we are an academic institution, we will always give priority to initiatives that further strengthen the work done by our researchers,” stated Fortier.
Concordia launched the Institute for Research on Migration and Society this year, expecting it to be more aligned with the academic interests of its scholars.
Although MIGS did not publish studies in academic journals like typical research institutes, it aimed to mobilize leaders towards action and to increase public awareness of ongoing humanitarian crises.
It also drove conversations with lawmakers on pressing rights issues concerning technology, including the dilemma of balancing the right to free speech with laws permitting the proliferation of dangerous disinformation and online abuse.
Former fellows of MIGS, like Meerkamper, remain hopeful the institute’s impact will be carried on, particularly now, when he says the need for it is stark.
“There’s a lot of support, so we’ll find a way. This work has to continue,” Meerkamper said.
A previous version of this article stated that the documents gathered by MIGS were no longer available in the Concordia archives. This is incorrect: further information can be found here. The Concordian regrets this error.
