International Association for Integration, Dignity and Economic Advancement – IDEA (USA)

The International Association for Integration, Dignity and Economic Advancement – IDEA is building a global network of leprosy heritage sites – remote locations where individuals diagnosed with leprosy were once forcibly sent because of government policies. Once there, people could be faced with limited or no contact with family, forced sterilization or having their children removed at birth, and the inability to leave. Sites include Robben Island, South Africa; Kalaupapa, Hawaii; and Spinalonga, Greece. The organization’s goal is to ensure that this important history is remembered locally and internationally, and becomes a catalyst for the discussion of current human rights issues.