Charles Scheidt was President and CEO of Roland Foods, importers and distributors of fine foods from approximately 50 countries. The firm was founded by his parents in 1939, upon their arrival in the United States. He holds a BA from Yale University as well as a JD and Master’s of International Affairs from Columbia Law School and the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, respectively.

I am delighted to join the board of the Auschwitz Institute. The world in which I grew up was one of refugees and survivors of a 20th century genocide: the Nazi genocide. Unfortunately, genocide and mass atrocities are at least as much a problem of the 21st century as of the 20th century. If we want future generations to be able to live in a more peaceful world, one in which societies accept and do not demonize others, we need to be proactive. In its work, AIPG focuses appropriate attention on the issue of genocide and helps to address the medium and long term causes and strives to provide the tools needed to prevent these horrors from occurring in the future.