Biography

Savina Sirik was born in 1983 in Phnom Penh, four years after the Khmer Rouge regime.  She joined the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) in 2004 as a volunteer and since then she progressed from working as a field investigator to a team leader and now an Office Manager.  Savina is currently a leader in the development of the Museum of Memory project at the Sleuk Rith Institute.  Prior to her current position, she led the Living Documents Project at DC-Cam, where she was responsible for planning activities, facilitating logistics, leading villagers’ tours to Phnom Penh to observe the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia’s trials, conducting forums and film screenings in villages, and reporting on these activities. In 2011, Savina was a fellow of the Community Solutions Program, a Professional Development Program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, implemented by IREX, an international nonprofit organization providing thought leadership and innovative programs to promote positive lasting change globally. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in archaeology from the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh and a Master of Arts degree in peace and reconciliation studies from Coventry University.  She is pursuing her second Master's degree in Political Geography at Kent State University.

Director's Statement

Reconciliation -- A national Museum of Memory and remembrance outreach projects in all 24 provinces will promote cultural expression and memory as paths to reconciliation. Through cultural genocide, the Khmer Rouge sought to erase Cambodia's cultural heritage through active destruction and malign neglect. Working with Khmer Rouge survivors and Cambodia's younger generations, the Museum of Memory initiative will counteract this cultural genocide through opportunities for dialogues, knowledge sharing, and healing for all Cambodians.