There has not been a time since the emergence of states when civilians have not been at risk from death and injury at the hands of the military or, in modern times, the police. In today’s world, civilians still remain vulnerable to lethal attacks by members of state security forces. Those campaigning for civil and human rights are particularly vulnerable.
The Bloody Sunday Trust grew out of one such incident in which 31 unarmed civil rights demonstrators were killed or injured by British Paratroopers in the city of Derry in Ireland in January 1972.
From the start the Trust stated that its vision is to promote human rights, conflict transformation and understanding between people both nationally and internationally.
Shortly after the Trust was established, it decided that the Museum of Free Derry was an important way to achieve these goals, through encouraging a better understanding of the recent history of Derry and of Ireland, with a focus on its people telling their story.