Political Will is the Key Ingredient in Preventing Genocide A year ago, I had the honor of visiting Kigali for ceremonies marking the 15th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. I heard the harrowing story of a man named Karasira Venuste, whose arm was hacked off by Hutu militiamen and who only lived because he was given up for dead under a pile of thousands of dead bodies. I visited the Nyamata Church, where thousands of Tutsi were killed despite thinking that a place of worship would provide refuge from the atrocities outside. I stood in a soccer stadium with thousands of Rwandans and watched as medical personnel tended to wailing genocide survivors, whose painful memories had been reawakened by the harrowing recollections of what happened to their beautiful country in 1994. The nine-day visit was a sobering glimpse into the financial, human and moral costs of genocide. But genocide is not inevitable. In the case of Rwanda, it could have been mitigated, possibly even prevented, by the United States and other world powers, but they did not act while more than 500,000 Tutsi and other victims were murdered in perhaps the most intense round of mass killing since the Holocaust. Political will is the key ingredient in preventing genocide. As President Clinton has long since acknowledged, he did not do enough to respond when presented with evidence of the crimes being committed in Rwanda on his watch. But as a recent task force of eminent leaders suggested, leaders' willingness to respond to genocide can also be strengthened by improving the government's capacity to respond. An 'achieveable goal' Preventing genocide is an "achievable goal," concluded the 2008 panel headed by former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and former Defense Secretary William S. Cohen: "There are ways to recognize its signs and symptoms, and viable options to prevent it at every turn if we are committed and prepared. Preventing genocide is a goal that can be achieved with the right organizational structures, strategies, and partnerships -- in short, with the right blueprint." The Genocide Prevention Task Force, convened by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy and the U.S. Institute of Peace, is one of a number of initiatives in recent years that have sought to provide just that kind of blueprint. The task force recommended numerous reforms for the government to respond more effectively to emerging threats of genocide and mass atrocities. The most important step, the task force stated, is a demonstration of presidential leadership, a statement that preventing genocide and mass atrocities is a national priority. Task force members also called for an interagency "Atrocities Prevention Committee" at the White House to analyze threats of genocide and mass atrocities and consider appropriate preventive action. Such a committee could combat the bureaucratic obstacles that impeded timely action in Rwanda and develop strategies for preventing mass atrocities in places like Sudan, which many experts believe is at risk of serious violence in the years ahead. The panelists had good ideas for other parts of government. They said the Pentagon needs to do a better job developing guidance on how to prevent genocide and incorporating that guidance into training and doctrine. They called on the State Department to launch a diplomatic initiative to create an international network for information sharing and coordinated action to prevent genocide. They urged Congress to invest $250 million a year -- less than a dollar for each American -- in new funds for crisis prevention and response. Gaining traction Implementing such an ambitious agenda would not be easy at any time, least of all during a period of war and economic crisis that has dominated White House attention. But the panel's conclusions have gained some traction in recent months. In line with recommendations of the report, Adm. Dennis C. Blair, the director of National Intelligence, recently included an assessment of genocidal risks in the world as part of his annual threat report for Congress. The Pentagon's recent Quadrennial Defense Review cited the need to prepare options to prevent human suffering "due to mass atrocities," a welcome prod to strategic planners to begin preparing for such possibilities. The House of Representatives has passed legislation requiring preparation of a government plan to prevent mass atrocities. Many senior officials have cited the importance of genocide prevention, most notably President Obama himself. "More and more, we all confront difficult questions about how to prevent the slaughter of civilians by their own government," declared Obama in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in December. "... Inaction tears at our conscience and can lead to more costly intervention later." If this philosophy takes root in Washington, we could yet see a remarkably different future, where atrocities are prevented before they occur and all of us live in a safer world.
|
| AMERICAN
ACADEMY OF DIPLOMACY |
|