Events
Videos links are below. Please scroll down.
April 5, 2022
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Book Launch: Wicked Problems: The Ethics of Action for Peace, Rights, and Justice Book Talk
Register Here
Co-sponsored by:
The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame
The Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego
The Peace and Conflict Studies Program at Conrad Grebel University College.
While a generation of changemakers and peacebuilders have set out to “Be the Change!” a thousand cautionary tales from the frontlines of social, economic, climate, and racial justice work suggest that deep ethical dilemmas don’t always have easily actionable answers. Join us for the book launch of Wicked Problems: The Ethics of Action for Peace, Rights, and Justice (Oxford University Press, 2022), where a panel of the books’ contributors discuss the trade-offs, dilemmas, and compromises they encounter in their daily work as conflict resolution practitioners, peacebuilders, advocates, organizers, and activists.
Sept 20, 2021
4:00 - 5:30 pm
Book Talk: A. Dirk Moses, The Problems of Genocide: Permanent Security and the Language of Transgression
Genocide is not only a problem of mass death, but also of how, as a relatively new idea and law, it organizes and distorts thinking about civilian destruction. Taking the normative perspective of civilian immunity from military attack, A. Dirk Moses argues that the implicit hierarchy of international criminal law, atop which sits genocide as the 'crime of crimes', blinds us to other types of humanly caused civilian death, like bombing cities, and the 'collateral damage' of missile and drone strikes. Talk of genocide, then, can function ideologically to detract from systematic violence against civilians perpetrated by governments of all types. The Problems of Genocide contends that this violence is the consequence of 'permanent security' imperatives: the striving of states, and armed groups seeking to found states, to make themselves invulnerable to threats.
A. Dirk Moses is Frank Porter Graham Distinguished Professor of Global Human Rights History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since July 2020. His website is: https://www.dirkmoses.com/
Speakers:
A. Dirk Moses, Frank Porter Graham Distinguished Professor in Global Human Rights History, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Douglas Irvin-Erickson, Assistant Professor, Carter School
June 17, 2021
11:00 - 12:30 pm
China, the Uighurs, and U.S. Foreign Policy
This is a panel discussion with facilitated discussion with the audience. The topic is China's policies toward the Uyghur Muslims, which have been termed genocidal by some critics, and the impact of this situation on U.S. policies toward China. The speakers are experts on China, genocide, and U.S. foreign policy. Discussion among the panelists and with the audience will be facilitated by Carter School professor Richard Rubenstein.
Speakers:
Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University
Jeffrey Sachs, University Professor at Columbia University
Alexander Hinton, UNESCO Chair on Genocide Prevention, Rutgers University
Gao Qing, Director, Confucius Institute U.S. Center
Douglas Irvin-Erickson, Assistant Professor, Carter School, George Mason University
Facilitated by Richard Rubenstein
April 29, 2021
3:30 - 5:00 pm
Book Talk: Alexander Hinton, It Can Happen Here: White Power and the Rising Threat of Genocide in the US
Alexander Hinton (@AlexLHinton) is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Director of the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, and UNESCO Chair in Genocide Prevention at Rutgers University. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books, including, most recently, It Can Happen Here: White Power and the Rising Threat of Genocide in the US (NYU, 2021), The Justice Facade: Trials of Transition in Cambodia (Oxford, 2018), and Man or Monster? The Trial of a Khmer Rouge Torturer (Duke, 2016). In recognition of his work on genocide, the American Anthropological Association selected Hinton as the recipient of the 2009 Robert B. Textor and Family Prize for Excellence in Anticipatory Anthropology. Professor Hinton is also a past President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (2011-13), a Member/Visitor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton (2011-13), and a convener of the Global Consortium on Bigotry and Hate (2019-24). He is currently completing a book about his 2016 experience testifying as an expert witness at the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Cambodia. Follow him on Twitter at @AlexLHinton.
Sponsor: John Mitchell Jr. Program & the Raphaël Lemkin Program
Speaker: Alexander Hinton, UNESCO Chair in Genocide Prevention
March 24, 2021
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Book Talk: Ambassador Joyce E. Leader, From Hope to Horror: Diplomacy and the Making of the Rwanda Genocide
Description: Joyce E. Leader served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea, and Deputy Chief of Mission in Rwanda during the three years prior to the 1994 genocide, during her decorated 22-year career with the Department of State. Ambassador Leader will discuss her book, From Hope to Horror: Diplomacy and the Making of the Rwanda Genocide (University of Nebraska Press, 2020), and key lessons from the years leading to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. In keeping with the Spring 2021 Peace Week theme of anti-racism, the Rwandan tragedy serves a stark reminder of the destructive legacies of political systems where dehumanization of “the other” is an organizing principle. Ambassador Leader's book offers an insider’s account of the three-way struggle for control among Rwanda’s ethnic and regional factions before the genocide, and the nation's efforts to move toward democracy and peace, as each faction sought to shape democratization and peacemaking to its own advantage in the escalation of the conflict prior to the 1994 genocide. Ambassador Leader will share with us her lessons for how diplomacy can more effectively avert the escalation of violence by identifying the unintended consequences of policies and emphasizing conflict prevention over crisis response.
Sponsor: Sponsored by the Center for Peacemaking Practice, Better Evidence Project & the Raphaël Lemkin Genocide Prevention Program
Speaker: Ambassador Joyce Leader
Oct. 2, 2018
Film Screening: 82 Names: Syria, Please Don’t Forget Us
82 Names: Syria, Please Don’t Forget Us is a documentary film that traces the journey of Mansour Omari, a survivor of torture and imprisonment in Syria. When Mansour was released from prison, he smuggled out scraps of cloth sewn within the shirt he was wearing. The names of his cellmates are written on them with an ink made from blood and rust. The film follows Mansour as he seeks to rebuild his life in exile. As the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington prepares to display the cloths, he visits sites in Germany that memorialize the victims of the Holocaust and he reflects on how to bring attention to the brutal regime he escaped—and how to counter extremist ideology in the future.
Read about the screening here.
May 18, 2018
Book Talk: Benjamin Madley, An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe.
Between 1846 and 1873, California’s Indian population plunged from perhaps 150,000 to 30,000. Benjamin Madley is the first historian to uncover the full extent of the slaughter, the involvement of state and federal officials, the taxpayer dollars that supported the violence, indigenous resistance, who did the killing, and why the killings ended. This deeply researched book is a comprehensive and chilling history of an American genocide.
Madley describes pre-contact California and precursors to the genocide before explaining how the Gold Rush stirred vigilante violence against California Indians. He narrates the rise of a state-sanctioned killing machine and the broad societal, judicial, and political support for genocide. Many participated: vigilantes, volunteer state militiamen, U.S. Army soldiers, U.S. congressmen, California governors, and others. The state and federal governments spent at least $1,700,000 on campaigns against California Indians. Besides evaluating government officials’ culpability, Madley considers why the slaughter constituted genocide and how other possible genocides within and beyond the Americas might be investigated using the methods presented in this groundbreaking book.
May 13-15, 2018
Preventing Genocide and Building an Architecture for Peace in the United States.
This workshop focuses on reviewing, producing, and furthering successful practices of peacebuilding in America. The objective of this workshop is to catalyze partnerships and collaborative action that supports the creation of an architecture for peace in America—to support efforts to respond to hate, prevent discrimination, and respond to structural and direct violence. The workshop represents the first step in such a creation, with the potential for developing collaborative action projects that foster pro-social values.
We bring together a diverse group of scholars, conflict resolution practitioners, community peacebuilders, civil society leaders and faith leaders who are committed to pro-social change in America. Collectively, we will examine how best to deescalate the destructive public rhetoric, undermine the “us versus them” polarity that is permeating public life in America, and support pro-social voices for positive change. Over the two-days together, we will share experiences and perspectives on America’s current situation, develop a vision for how we can collectively respond in our communities, campuses, and congregations, and catalyze future partnerships, collaboration, and action.
Feb. 1, 2017
Book Launch: Raphaël Lemkin and the Concept of Genocide by Douglas Irvin-Erickson
The world is witnessing the worst humanitarian crises since the Second World War, with genocide, atrocities, and mass killings continuing at unprecedented levels, and with the rise of a politics of hate and fear around the world. In the face of such human destructiveness and violent conflict, never has the work of Raphaël Lemkin been so important since he coined the word “genocide” in 1941, led a movement at the United Nations to outlaw the crime after the Holocaust, and revolutionized the way the world thought about conflict, violence, and peace.
Douglas Irvin-Erickson, an assistant professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and an expert scholar-practitioner in the field of atrocity prevention, will discuss his new book Raphaël Lemkin and the Concept of Genocide (University of Pennsylvania Press Studies in Human Rights, 2017). Irvin-Erickson will discuss the philosophical, political, and personal origins of Lemkin’s ideas on conflict and peace, and present a new account of the diplomatic history of the UN Genocide Convention. Having worked to try and de-escalate cycles of deadly violence and prevent genocide in over ten countries, and having worked with governments around the world on genocide education curricula, justice mechanisms, and national mechanisms for preventing atrocities, Irvin-Erickson will draw on his experience to showcase the continuing relevance of Lemkin’s ideas for our own time.
Oct. 27, 2016
Book Talk: Joyce Apsel, Introducing Peace Museums
At a time when global violence continues, talking about peace and peace museums is more important than ever. Joyce Apsel, a professor in the Liberal Studies Program at New York University, will discuss her new book Introducing Peace Museums. Her illustrated talk discusses the art, music and other artifacts in peace museums from Guernica, Spain and Kyoto, Japan to Dayton, Ohio. These museums trace the history of protest and movements for social justice and include diaries of conscientious objectors to posters and signs used in a range of disarmament, anti-war and other protests. From the original designs for the international peace symbol to quilts sewn by Mothers of Peace from the UK and Soviet Union exchanged during the Cold War, this talk traces little known cultures of peace in museums and sites world-wide.
Professor Apsel is a professor of Liberal Studies at NYU, President of the Institute for Study of Genocide, and Director of RightsWorks International. Her books include: Introducing Peace Museums; Genocide Matters; Museums for Peace: Transforming Cultures; Museums for Peace: Past, Present and Future; Teaching about Human Rights; and Teaching about Genocide.
Sep. 21, 2016
UN International Day of Peace Commemoration
S-CAR undergraduate students traveled to the United Nations to commemorate International Day of Peace. The students were selected to present their local peacebuilding project they had been working on in Northern Virginia, helping refugee families. They stood before a world audience on the floor of the General Assembly Hall, and made Mason proud.
April 7, 2016
Film Screening and Discussion: Genocide in Rwanda
In 1994, Rwanda was falling apart, and the world silently watched as men, women, and children were massacred because of their ethnic identity. Every year, commemorative events known as Kwibuka, meaning “Remember” are held to pay tribute and remember the lives lost during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. To encourage commitment against Genocide ideology, this year’s commemoration will be held under the theme “Kwibuka22: Fighting Genocide Ideology” not only in Rwanda but also around the globe.
Genocide Watch and The Genocide Prevention Program at George Mason, in collaboration with Embassy of Rwanda in Washington, DC would like to invite you to a night of commemoration in honor of those who lost their lives. Please join us at School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (S-CAR), Metropolitan building, 5th floor in Room 5183 on April 7th at 7- 9Pm. Physical address: 3434 N Washington Blvd Arlington, VA or 3351 Fairfax Dr. MS 4D3.
A short documentary will be screened, followed by a panel discussion featuring Ambassador Prof. Mathilde Mukantabana, Prof. Kevin Avruch, S-CAR’s Dean, Dr. Douglas Irvin Erickson, Director of the Genocide Prevention Program at George Mason University and Fr. Innocent Rugaragu, PhD candidate.
April 4, 2016
The Week to Remember our Humanity: Genocide Remembrance And Post-Conflict Trauma Healing
Please join the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution to an event to remember and reflect on genocide around the world. By exploring themes such as the current framing on genocide and its legal impact, the post conflict trauma healing processes and perpetrators reintegrating into the society, and finally, the generational trauma and identity crisis in post-genocide society, this event aims to explore the complex mechanisms that are put in place when an atrocity is defined as a genocide.
May 19, 2015
The Remembrance of Past Genocides: The Darfur Case
The round table on "The Remembrance of Past Genocides: The Darfur Case" will feature two experts on genocide and peace, Dr. Daniel Rothbart and Dr. Gregory Stanton. Drawing on their personal experiences and knowledge, Rothbart and Stanton will discuss the potential of local and global politics, the law, and human rights social movements in ending genocide and bringing peace in Sudan. Joining the conversation is David Abramowitz, Vice President for Policy and Government Relations at Humanity United, and other leading human rights figures.
These interdisciplinary events entitled "The Remembrance of Past Genocide" will bring together a varied audience of stakeholders from academics, practitioners, students, and members of the S-CAR community to examine and expose the legacy and politics of various cases and aspects of past genocides that are often overlooked in traditional discussions on the topic of genocide remembrance. Therefore, they will not only be an opportunity to initiate an innovative and interactive dialogue between participants surrounding the history and memory of various cases of genocide but they shall also provide a space in which to consider how the memory of genocide and mass atrocity impacts and shapes contemporary politics.
May 19, 2015
The Remembrance of Past Genocides: Education, Art, and Peace
The round table on "The Remembrance of Past Genocides: Education, Art, and Peace" will feature four of the world's leading experts on education, youth engagement, and art in peace work and genocide prevention. Thomas La Pointe, Nela Navarro, Patricia Maulden, and Elavie Ndura will lead a conversation on potential for art and education to transform societies in conflict, heal from past social traumas, and prevent future violence.
These interdisciplinary events entitled "The Remembrance of Past Genocide" will bring together a varied audience of stakeholders from academics, practitioners, students, and members of the S-CAR community to examine and expose the legacy and politics of various cases and aspects of past genocides that are often overlooked in traditional discussions on the topic of genocide remembrance. Therefore, they will not only be an opportunity to initiate an innovative and interactive dialogue between participants surrounding the history and memory of various cases of genocide but they shall also provide a space in which to consider how the memory of genocide and mass atrocity impacts and shapes contemporary politics.