Eileen Weiss papers, 1978-2017, bulk 1993-2013

Using These Materials Teaser

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:
Access note. Collection contains Some materials in this collection are electronic records that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions. Access note. Some materials in...
More about accessing and using these materials...

Summary

Creator:
Weiss, Eileen and Human Rights Archive (Duke University)
Abstract:
Eileen Weiss is a grassroots activist involved in documenting and raising awareness of human rights conflicts primarily in Bosnia, Kosovo in the 1990s and the Darfur region in Sudan in the 2000s-2010s as well as for interfaith awareness among the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities in New York City after September 11, 2001. Collection includes organizational and event files, correspondence, handouts, newsletters, clippings, audiovisual materials, and other assorted materials. The Eileen Weiss papers focus on human rights conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Darfur with news, rallies, demonstrations, education, and events through Weiss's involvement in grassroots organizations such as Jews Against Genocide (JAG), Jewish Ad-Hoc Committee on Bosnia (JACOB), and the New York Coalition for Sudan. The collection also documents her efforts in cultural pluralism through interfaith work with the Same Difference Interfaith Alliance project, co-founded by Weiss, with community programming, arts, and education. Materials range from 1978-2017, mostly between 1993-2013. Acquired as part of the Human Rights Archive.
Extent:
8.5 Linear Feet
Language:
Materials mainly in English with minor amounts of Hebrew, Spanish, and Bosnian.
Collection ID:
RL.13103

Background

Scope and content:

The Eileen Weiss papers contain collected clippings, newsletters, correspondence, handouts particularly for events and educational materials, organizational files, as well as reports, conference materials, audiovisual materials, and other assorted materials. The collection primarily focuses on Weiss's human rights activism for Bosnia, Kosovo, and Darfur through involvement in grassroots organizations such as Jews Against Genocide (JAG), JACOB (Jewish Ad Hoc Committee on Bosnia), and the New York Coalition for Sudan. Also, the collection focuses on interfaith activism primarily through the Same Difference Interfaith Alliance project focused on events, education, and the theater production, Same Difference: NYC Faith Stories in Words, Music and Dance . Materials range from 1978-2017, with most dated from 1993-2013. Acquired as part of the Human Rights Archive.

Biographical / historical:

Eileen Weiss is a grassroots human rights activist who has primarily focused on the human rights conflicts and genocides in Bosnia (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Kosovo (also referred to as Kosova), and the Darfur region of Sudan. Weiss graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Dramatic Literature in 1978 from Dickinson College before moving to New York City.

In the early 1990s, she co-founded the all-volunteer interfaith educational and political grassroots organization, JAG (Jews Against Genocide) to raise awareness of the genocide in Bosnia which worked with other Jewish and New York-based grassroots organizations such as JACOB (Jewish Ad Hoc Committee on Bosnia), New York Committee to Save Bosnia (part of the American Committee to Save Bosnia), and the Coalition for Intervention Against Genocide, through demonstrations, workshops, handouts, lobbying politicians, and education. Throughout the 1990s, Weiss's work expanded to raising awareness in other parts of former Yugoslav countries experiencing human rights conflicts and genocide such as Kosovo.

Weiss's involvement in JAG also led to co-sponsoring events related to other human rights conflicts in East Timor (Timor-Leste), Tibet, Sierra Leone, and Sudan. Around 2004, Weiss began advocacy related to the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan through JAG and work with the New York Coalition for Sudan (sometimes also referred to as New York Coalition for Darfur) as well as other local grassroots and national human rights organizations to advocate for the end of genocide in the region with various write-ins, rallies, lobbying efforts, and the use of music to raise awareness in events such as Healing Hand Percussion Circle and Rock to Save Darfur.

Alongside advocacy for human rights, Weiss continued efforts in theater and interfaith activities. In response to the events of September 11, 2001 she joined what would become the Same Difference Interfaith Alliance project ("Same Difference"). In addition to Eileen Weiss (Congregation B'nai Jeshurun), this project consisted of members from different faith communities such as Sarah Brockus (St. Paul and St. Andrew) and Daisy Khan (American Sufi Muslim Association), among others. Originating as a series of oral interviews from people of different faith backgrounds and those with atheist or agnostic beliefs, Weiss joined as a producer and co-writer to help create the Same Difference: NYC Faith Stories in Words, Music and Dance production that premiered in New York City in 2004. The project continued after the production to develop educational materials and programming to develop cultural awareness and greater understanding of different faith communities.

Sources: Same Difference Interfaith site, https://www.samedifference.org/About/About.htm (accessed November 1, 2024) and Jews Against Genocide site, https://web.archive.org/web/19991128172000/http://jagny.org/ (accessed November 8, 2024).

Acquisition information:
The Eileen Weiss papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 2021.
Processing information:

Processed by Tere Elizalde, November 2024

Accessions described in this collection guide: 2021-0046

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in four series: Bosnia and Kosovo files, Darfur (Sudan) files, Other Human Rights and Activism files, and Interfaith Activities files. The Interfaith Activities files series is arranged in two subseries, General files and files for the Same Difference Interfaith Alliance.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Access note. Collection contains Some materials in this collection are electronic records that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions.

Access note. Some materials in this collection are fragile audiovisual/photographic formats that may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

Before you visit:
Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Eileen Weiss papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m16t8f