RESOURCES

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) is dedicated to educating new generations about the ideology, history, and legacy of communism, and ensuring that the millions who suffered under communist regimes are not forgotten.

An entire generation of Americans, unaware of the true nature and history of communism, is warming to collectivist ideas because they don’t know the facts. Studies consistently reveal that America’s high school and college students do not know basic facts about the history of communism. In this environment, it is no wonder that personalities and symbols of communism are worn on clothing and even celebrated as symbols of equality and justice. Our country’s educational institutions have failed to teach the most important lessons of the 20th century to a new generation of Americans.

We have resources available for all ages to ensure the crimes of communism will forever be acknowledged and the victims will never be forgotten.

The Witness Project

From the Killing Fields of Cambodia to the labor camps of the Soviet Union and the 1989 massacre in Tiananmen Square, the Witness Project tells the tragic and powerful stories of the victims of communism, past and present. This award-winning short video series features courageous men and women who experienced life under communism and want to share their cautionary and inspiring stories. The oral history mini-documentaries are screened across the country and internationally as well as disseminated widely online and through social media.

Current episodes feature the following witnesses of communism:

Watch Witness Project episodes here.

Middle and High School Programs

We equip teachers through our annual National Seminar for Middle and High School Educators, Online Teacher Certification, and in-service professional development workshops based on our new, digital curriculum, Communism: A History of Repression, Violence, and Victims, and other curricular resources. Our growing number of teacher alumni are reaching thousands of students in classrooms around the country.

Explore the Curriculum

VOC has partnered with Streamable Learning, an educational platform that provides live and interactive presentations for middle and high school teachers and students, to provide educational resources on the history and perils of communism to teachers and students who are part of Streamable Learning. Watch video recordings and view semester schedule.

VOC’s Online Bookstore

Through VOC’s Online Bookstore, read about the history and the crimes of communism from VOC’s experts, staff, academic council members, and witnesses. Bolster your knowledge of communism’s destructive past and present with supplementary material from VOC’s curriculum.

Fact Sheets

Fact sheets include resources for middle school, high school, collegiate, and adult users. We currently have two different types of fact sheets available: Captive Nations Fact Sheets and Historic Event Fact Sheets.

CAPTIVE NATIONS FACT SHEETS

VOC prepares fact sheets on captive nations annually to provide context on each country’s history, government and diplomacy, and human rights statistics. Access fact sheets on the following captive nations below: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

HISTORIC EVENT FACT SHEETS

VOC prepares fact sheets on historic events to provide context on important global moments that have shaped and continue to shape the world today. Access fact sheets on the following historic events below: The Berlin Wall, Cotton in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, The Vietnam War, and Tiananmen Square Massacre.

Educational Videos

VOC produces videos as a means for educating people about the deadly ideology, history, and legacy of communism.

View all educational videos here.

Red China: CCP Threats

By Long Nguyen and the Movement for the Renaissance of Vietnam

VOC would like to thank Mr. Nguyen for his efforts in educating Americans on the true nature of Communist China in this six video series. To learn more about Mr. Nguyen’s organization’s educational material please see their site at https://www.viet-hung.org.

Voices for Freedom

Voices for Freedom is a multi-media documentation that highlights the powerful stories of witnesses of communism. From escaping the Soviet Union to defying Cuba’s Castro regime to surviving torture as a political prisoner to fighting communist infiltration in U.S. cities today, they share their stories of life under communism and how they survived and continue to combat this dangerous ideology. This series features personal testimonies in various formats, including videos and webinars.

Personal Testimony Video Series

Witnesses of communism from around the world share their stories in these long-form video testimonials. Hear from dissidents, human rights advocates, and witnesses of communism who all use their voices to advocate for freedom. Watch all Voices for Freedom Personal Testimony Videos here.

Webinar Series

VOC hosts the “Voices for Freedom” online event series to highlight the tragic and powerful stories of victims of communist countries, past and present. From escaping North Korea to defying Venezuela’s Nicholás Maduro and surviving torture as a political prisoner, witnesses will share what life under communism is really like, and how they survived and continue to combat communist regimes against all odds.

Research and Publications

VOC has established Studies and Program Centers to promote original academic research on historical and contemporary questions in the areas of trade, economics, foreign policy, political development, and human rights. Our research teams work tirelessly to teach the truth about the failures of communism, socialism, and Marxism and to pursue justice for those still striving for freedom under communist regimes.

China Studies Publications

Our China Studies team conducts research on the nature of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and key issues in U.S.-China relations. Our experts include Dr. Adrian Zenz, Ethan Gutmann, and Matthew Robertson.

Research and peer-reviewed academic article journals include the following:

Coercive Labor and Forced Displacement in Xinjiang’s Cross-Regional Labor Transfer Program. The Jamestown Foundation. (2021).
Coercive Labor in Xinjiang: Labor Transfer and the Mobilization of Ethnic Minorities to Pick Cotton. The Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy. (2020).
Xinjiang’s System of Militarized Vocational Training Comes to Tibet. The Jamestown Foundation’s China Brief. (2020).
Sterilizations, IUDs, and Mandatory Birth Control: The CCP’s Campaign to Suppress Uyghur Birthrates in Xinjiang. The Jamestown Foundation’s China Brief. (2020).
The Karakax List: Dissecting the Anatomy of Beijing’s Internment Drive in Xinjiang. Journal of Political Risk. (2020).

See all China Studies publications here.

Latin America Studies Publications

Our researchers document human rights abuses, support in-region civil society and pro-democracy groups, and educate the American public and U.S. policy makers about the realities on the ground in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Our expert is Dr. Carlos Ponce.

Key research includes the following reports in English:

Tenemos los siguientes reportes en español:

See all Latin America Studies publications here.

Polish Studies Publications

The 20th and 21st century history of Poland can be seen as a microcosm of Western history: it is the story of freedom’s suppression by the forces of Nazism and Communism and liberty’s eventual rebirth. Understanding how these totalitarian systems oppressed the Polish people and how free government was reestablished in their wake better ensures our present and future endeavors to defend liberty against the ideas and forces of tyranny. Our current experts include Dr. Monika Brzozowska-Pasieka and Chelsea Michta.

Research, articles, books, and other projects include the following:

See all Poland Studies publications here.

Webinar Series

Cuba’s Communist Threat

VOC hosts the “Cuba’s Communist Threat” webinar series to help Americans understand the nature of the Communist Party of Cuba, Cuba’s medical program, and the impact of the Castro regime on Latin America and other regions around the world.

Understanding China

VOC hosts the “Understanding China” webinar series to help Americans understand the nature of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and key issues in U.S.-China relations. Past events are available on VOC’s YouTube channel.

Communism and the World

VOC’s “Communism and the World” webinar series complements our curricular supplements. Renowned scholars and noted subject matter experts present 30-minute lectures that are followed by a moderated Q&A with teachers. Past events are available on VOC’s YouTube channel and serve as a video library of supplemental material for the classroom.

The Reality of Communism

In this presentation, Ken Pope, Vice President for Academic Operations and Strategic Partnerships, addresses the deadly history of Communism. Mr. Pope begins with his own experience in the military serving in West Berlin, addresses the life and writing of Karl Marx, then examines the totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century from the Soviet Union onwards.

Resources