About the course

During this course, we will acknowledge that the global agenda to prevent mass atrocities is huge, and therefore requires a multi-stakeholder approach that recognizes the role of both state and non-state actors. We will therefore explore the role of non-state actors in mass atrocity prevention, and identify the rubric of these actors, their roles and their relevance in the global mass atrocity prevention framework.  There are so many non-state actors that are often involved in the protection of populations from mass atrocities. These non-state actors are diverse, and they include civil society organizations (CSOs), traditional institutions, religious institutions, political parties, business actors, the media and community-based infrastructure. These actors play an essential role in the prevention of mass atrocities, and often they help to protect populations from crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and ethnic cleansing, among others egregious violations.

The course will examine the various roles performed by non-state actors in mass atrocity prevention, including protecting populations threatened and affected by violent conflict, engaging in outreach and advocacy for conflict prevention, engaging in human rights promotion and speaking up against excesses by state and other conflict actors. The course will also examine various roles performed by non-state actors, which include engaging in early warning, promoting and advocating for human rights violations, facilitating dialogue and engaging in longer term processes of sustaining peace after violence has erupted. The course also unpacks gender-based mass atrocity prevention, including focusing on the impact of sexual violence on women, men, girls and boys as well as the policy options for gendered programming.

Apart from providing a platform for reflection on what works and how it works, the course will also encourage forward-looking strategies for ensuring that the mass atrocity prevention agenda is inclusive and includes the collaboration of diverse actors. Thus, during the course, we will also consider ways in which to enhance the collaboration between state and non-state actors, including thinking through the policy and program implications of this partnership.

For more information:

If you are interested in taking one of AIPG's courses in English, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/m3zYrSogu53ZZoQz9