OverviewWhy Victims of Communism? The Berlin Wall fell, but communism didn't. One hundred years after the Bolshevik Revolution, one fifth of the world's population still lives under single-party communist regimes in China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. Communist regimes commit the worst and widest-scale human rights abuses on the planet.Victims of Communism Memorial FoundationVOC_2f13fba8-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a068471The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) is a Washington, DC-based educational and human rights nonprofit 501c3 foundation devoted to commemorating the more than 100 million victims of communism around the world and to the freedom of those still living under totalitarian regimes. CongressVOC was authorized by a unanimous act of Congress, which was signed by President Bill Clinton on December 17, 1993. VOC incorporated in 1994. Since then, its historical research, policy analysis, educational programs, and commitment to remembering every victim of communism have been praised internationally.Bill ClintonGeorge W. BushVOC raised private funds and built the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, DC. It is the only memorial in the world commemorating every victim of communism, and was dedicated by President George W. Bush on June 12, 2007.... a world free from the false hope of communism. _2f13fcac-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a068471To educate this generation and future generations about the ideology, history, and legacy of communism. _2f13fd60-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a068471HumanityThe Human Cost -- Communism promises to make everyone equal, but delivers radical inequality. Every time it's tried, it ends in economic collapse or a police state. From the famines, purges, and gulags of Soviet Russia to Mao’s Great Leap Forward and the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge -- from the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre to the Castro regime’s 2012 murder of Oswaldo Payá -- communists have killed more than 100 million people. Countless more suffered and suffer still.MemoryMemory Against Forgetting -- Shamefully, the free world never demanded a moral reckoning for the crimes of communist regimes. Those witnesses with a living memory of 20th century communism are passing away. And an entire generation of Americans is open to collectivist ideas because they don't know the truth.TruthWe tell the truth about communism because our vision is for a world free from the false hope of communism.FreedomDemocracyWitnessTell the stories of those who resisted communism and who witnessed its brutal power._2f13ff54-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a0684711Anastasia LinAnastasia Lin grew up in China but later moved with her mother to Canada as a young adult. Once she was outside the influence of the Communist Party, she realized the lies she had been taught to believe. Now, as an accomplished model, actress and winner of Miss World Canada 2015, she speaks out in hopes it will encourage other Chinese to do the same.Nal OumNal Oum rose from humble beginnings to earn a scholarship to study in Paris and eventually become a medical doctor in his native Cambodia. His education became a liability, however, when the fanatical Khmer Rouge took over the country, and he is believed to be the only physician to have escaped the Khmer Rouge death camps.Dániel MagayHUNGARY -- Dániel's idyllic childhood was wrecked when communist authorities targeted his father, a popular landowner. Though his efforts to escape communism brought Dániel to the 1956 Olympic Games and, eventually, San Francisco, Dániel remains deeply shaped by having grown up under that brutal system.Yang JianliYang Jianli was a rising star in the Chinese Communist Party before witnessing the bloody Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. Since then he has committed himself to seeing a free and democratic ChinaJon Basil UtleyJon Basil Utley is the son of British and Russian parents who were targeted during the Stalinist purges for their ties to the Western world. Years after settling in America, Utley went back to Russia to find out the truth about his father, who was abducted in the middle of the night.Anhthu LuThe daughter of a three-star South Vietnamese general, Anhthu Lu grew up to the sounds of war and was forced to flee Saigon in the middle of the night.Livia GyarmathyGrowing up under constant fear and suspicion in communist Hungary, Livia Gyarmathy was ordered by the state to become a chemist, despite wanting to go to medical school. She eventually became a filmmaker, and produced the first ever film about the Recsk labor camp -- the Hungarian Gulag.Myroslav MarynovychMyroslav Marynovych is vice-rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University and founder of Amnesty International Ukraine. Having suffered as a prisoner of conscience for nearly a decade during the Brezhnev era, Marynovych has worked tirelessly to strengthen civil society in his native country.Henry LiA student leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Henry Li was swept up in the historic events of Tiananmen Square and came to see the truth about communism. To this day Henry remains haunted by the violence he saw more than twenty-five years ago.Janos HorvathHaving served as the youngest member of the Hungarian parliament in 1948, Janos Horvath was imprisoned for four years by the communist regime because of his political beliefs. In 2003, Horvath returned to the Hungarian parliament, becoming its oldest living member until his retirement in 2014Kuy E. KyThe son of a successful merchant living in Cambodia, Kuy lived a "wonderful" life growing up before Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge seized power, forcing his family to flee in the middle of the night through the jungle to freedom.Vaclav KlausGrowing up during the worst years of communist oppression in his country, Klaus went on to become President of the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2013Jinhye JoStill a young girl, Jinhye Jo defected from North Korea in 2008, after her two siblings and grandmother died of hunger in the late 1990s. Her father was tortured and killed and her mother was almost beaten to death by government officials. Now a young woman living in America, Jinhye describes the horror that was life in North Korea.Laszlo TokesAs a bishop in Nicolae Ceausescu's Romania, Laszlo Tokes was prevented from living his religious faith and executing his pastoral duties. Tokes faced intimidation and expulsion by the communist authorities, but his cause helped launch a revolution.Béla KrasznayHUNGARY -- Béla Krasznay spent nearly eight years in the notorious Recsk labor camp during the 1950's. He was a political prisoner due to his family background (landed-owners and military officers). Modeled after the Soviet Gulags, Recsk was deadly.Tony NguyenVIETNAM -- Tony Nguyen's family suffered for six years after the fall of Saigon. His father was abducted in the middle of the night for his anti-communist views. Eventually deciding to flee their homeland, Tony's family tried three times to escape Vietnam before eventually reaching America.Vladimir BrandwajnGrowing up under Poland's communist regime, Vladimir Brandwajn was sent to a reeducation camp in 1968 and then forced to leave his homeland. He was told by an army captain: "You have exactly two weeks to leave the country or you will regret the day that you were born."We are in dire need of witnesses today. Witnesses against the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, yes, but also witnesses to the heroism of those who resisted. VOC is telling the stories of those who resisted communism and who witnessed its brutal power._2f140102-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a068471MuseumPermanently record the immense suffering inflicted upon millions of people by communism._2f1401c0-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a0684712Permanently recording the immense suffering inflicted upon millions of people by communism must be done. Although a great amount of extraordinary work has been conducted in locations around the world, much of the evidence is either eroding over time or is not accessible to the public. Our goal is to help connect and integrate these efforts before the evidence is lost forever. There is no better way to accomplish this task than with the construction of a permanent International Museum on Communism in Washington DC. Our museum will collect, warehouse, and permanently display the evidence and artifacts of the global communist system and its many crimes against humanity. The museum will bring to light the vast number of heroes and champions who successfully opposed, endured, and triumphed over the tyranny of communism, serving as an inspiration to future generations opposing totalitarianism. Donations will benefit the construction of the planned International Museum on Communism._2f140288-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a068471CurriculumProvide basic facts about the history of communism in the 20th century._2f140350-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a0684713Professor Paul Kengor, PhDDr. Lee Edwards, PhD.Claire GriffinClaire Griffin served as editor and academic adviser.Public High SchoolsPrivate High SchoolsHome SchoolsHigh School Curriculum -- Numerous studies consistently reveal that America's high school and college students do not know basic facts about the history of communism in the 20th century. In this environment, it is no wonder that personalities and symbols of communism are worn on clothing and even celebrated as signifying equality and justice. In an effort to remedy this sad reality, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in 2013 released an all new high school curriculum resource -- "Communism: Its Ideology, Its History, Its Legacy" -- intended for public, private, and home schools across the country. The curriculum on communism was written by Professor Paul Kengor, PhD, and Dr. Lee Edwards, PhD. _2f14040e-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a068471Medal of FreedomRecognize individuals and institutions that have demonstrated a life-long commitment to freedom and democracy and opposition to communism and all other forms of tyranny._2f1404ea-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a0684714H.E. Mart Laar, Ph.D.2017 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Natan Sharansky2017 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom Memorial Society2017 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomPaul A. Goble2016 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomChen Guangcheng2015 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomGuillermo Fariñas2015 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomAlexander Podrabinek2015 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomMyroslav Marynovych2014 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomMustafa Dzhemilev2014 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomFr. Nguyễn Văn Lý2013 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomH.E. Václav Klaus, Ph.D.2013 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomDr. Yang Jianli2013 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomH.E. Stanislau Shushkevich2012 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Donald Rumsfeld2012 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomRep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen2011 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomH.E. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga2011 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomJohn C. Whitehead2011 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomRobert Conquest2010 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHarry Wu2010 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomH.E. Emanuelis Zingeris2010 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Armando Valladares2010 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomRep. Steny Hoyer2009 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Jack Kemp2009 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Bishop László Tőkés2009 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Edwin Meese III2009 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomDr. Richard Pipes2009 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Kateryna Yushchenko2008 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Paula J. Dobriansky, Ph.D.2008 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomMidge Decter2008 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Tom Lantos2008 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomWilliam F. Buckley, Jr.2007 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Henry "Scoop" Jackson2007 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomTrần Văn Bá2007 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. János Horváth2007 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomRep. Dana Rohrabacher2007 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Lech Wałęsa2006 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Milada Horáková2006 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomDr. Edwin J. Feulner2006 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomLt. General Edward L. Rowny, USA (Ret.)2005 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomPope John Paul II2005 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomSolidarity Free Trade Union of 19802005 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomAnna Walentynowicz2005 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Lev E. Dobriansky2005 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomRep. John Shimkus2004 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomMaj. Gen. John Singlaub, USA (Ret.)2004 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomLockheed Martin Corporation2004 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomH.E. Václav Havel2003 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomNational Endowment for Democracy2003 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomMichael Novak2003 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Joseph Lieberman2002 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Philip M. Crane2002 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomH.E. Viktor Orbán2002 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Hae Yung Chung2002 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomVladimir Bukovsky2001 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Jesse Helms2001 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomWei Jingsheng2000 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomYouk Chhang2000 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomCol. John McKone, USAF (Ret.)2000 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomĐoàn Viết Hoạt2000 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomCol. Lewis Millett, USA (Ret.)2000 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomHon. Orson Swindle2000 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomGen. Paik Sun Yup, ROKA (Ret.)2000 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomElena Bonner1999 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomLane Kirkland1999 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomH.E. Vytautas Landsbergis, Ph.D.1999 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomH.E. Philip Dimitrov1999 Recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of FreedomTruman-Reagan Medal of Freedom -- The Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom is awarded each year by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to those individuals and institutions that have demonstrated a life-long commitment to freedom and democracy and opposition to communism and all other forms of tyranny._2f1405a8-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a068471Virtual GulagPortray the history of the Gulag, the vast network of labor camps which was once scattered across the length and breadth of the Soviet Union._2f1406ca-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a0684715The Gulag "It is unthinkable in the twentieth century to fail to distinguish between what constitutes an abominable atrocity that must be prosecuted and what constitutes that 'past' which 'ought not to be stirred up'." -- Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956. This virtual museum is devoted to the history of the Gulag, the vast network of labor camps which was once scattered across the length and breadth of the Soviet Union, from the islands of the White Sea to the shores of the Black Sea, from the Arctic circle to the plains of Central Asia, from Murmansk to Vorkuta to Kazakhstan, from central Moscow to the Leningrad suburbs. The Gulag is an exhibit of The Museum on Communism- a project of the non-profit, non-partisan Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, established by an Act of Congress on December 17, 1993 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton._2f1407ec-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a068471MemorialMaintain the Victims of Communism Memorial._2f1408e6-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a0684716The Victims of Communism Memorial was dedicated by President George W. Bush on June 12, 2007. The dedication ceremony featured the unveiling of the "Goddess of Democracy," a bronze replica of the statue erected by Chinese students in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China in the spring of 1989. Many world leaders have already visited the memorial site to pay their respects and lay commemorative wreaths. The Memorial is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and New Jersey Avenue, NW on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C._2f1409ea-d965-11e7-9fca-09ab7a0684712017-12-04http://victimsofcommunism.org/mission/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net