The Aegis Trust, founded in 2000, is the British
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
which campaigns to prevent
genocide
Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Lat ...
worldwide. Based at the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
's Holocaust Centre, which opened in 1995, the Aegis Trust coordinates the UK Genocide Prevention All-Party Parliamentary Group, funds the
Genocide Prevention Group (Canada) and is responsible for the
Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre in
Rwanda, which commemorates the 1994 genocide and is central to education of a new generation about the dangers of ethnic division.
History
The Aegis Trust was founded by brothers James and Stephen Smith, as a progression from their establishment of
Beth Shalom, the UK Holocaust Memorial Centre, in 1995. The outbreak of the Kosovo crisis in 1999 provided the catalyst for the development of Aegis. Troubled by the repetition of genocidal violence, the Smiths responded by initiating a regional aid appeal in the East Midlands. In 2002, Aegis hosted a joint conference with the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Aegis' work follows three strands: education, protection and survivor support.
Aegis Trust Award
Created in 2002 by the Aegis Trust, the Aegis Trust Award is made "for
altruism,
resourcefulness and
bravery
Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle.
Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, ...
in preserving the value of
human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...
life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...
". The award is intended to honour individuals who, by actions in contrast to the majority, demonstrate a respect for human life that transcends
ideology,
politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
,