Our Enduring Commitment to Syria
Remarks by Naomi Kikoler, Director, Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, at an event on Syria, held at the British Embassy in Washington DC.
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Nine Years Since Ghouta: Reflecting on the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria
Reflections on the horror of the 2013 chemical weapons attacks by the Assad regime on Ghouta and the many lives lost, and the numerous other attacks, using chemical and conventional weapons, launched on its own people by a regime, still in power and rooted in impunity.
Inching Towards Justice: The 8th Anniversary of the Yezidi Genocide
August 3, 2022 marked the eighth anniversary of attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on the Yezidis of northern Iraq. Eight years on, the need for justice remains unabated. Thousands of Yezidis are still missing, their families in anguish.
Urgent Action Needed: Hazaras in Afghanistan Under Attack
Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the risk of mass atrocities has increased for vulnerable groups, including ethnic and religious minorities. The Hazara community is experiencing increasing and widespread attacks by ISIS-KP and the Taliban alongside a history of persecution, necessitating an immediate response by the US and other governments.
Five Ways to Make the U.S. Atrocity Prevention Strategy Work
Real challenges remain, but the strategy represents important progress. Here's what civil society experts want to see next.
Atrocity Prevention Lessons Learned: Common Theme in New US Strategy and Simon-Skjodt Center Project
One strong theme in the new US government’s United States Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and Respond to Atrocities is the importance of evaluation, learning, and adaptation. These elements of the strategy reflect the same basic tenets that motivated the Simon-Skjodt Center to conduct the project, “Lessons Learned in Preventing and Responding to Mass Atrocities”—namely, that atrocity prevention efforts should be informed by what has been learned about how to accomplish this goal, and that continued learning is crucial to help address gaps in our current knowledge.
New US Atrocity Prevention Strategy Signals Potential and Challenge
This new strategy marks the first time the US government has made public a written strategy concerning mass atrocities, signaling the potential for a stronger, more coordinated effort across the US government.
Starvation of Civilians in Tigray, Ethiopia: Justice Options
Although conflict frequently disrupts food systems, in the case of Ethiopia there are credible reports that parties to the conflict have destroyed food, crops, livestock, and civilian infrastructure such as water sources and that the Ethiopian federal government is responsible for deliberately starving civilians.
Simon-Skjodt Center Director Kikoler Addresses International Religious Freedom Summit
Remarks delivered on June 27, 2022, by Simon-Skjodt Center Director Naomi Kikoler at the International Religious Freedom Summit.
Early Warning Comparison Survey: Methodological Reflections
For the ninth year in a row, the Early Warning Project ran a comparison survey in December to solicit wisdom-of-the-crowd opinions on countries' relative risks for new mass killing. Due to less participation this year, we take the opportunity to reflect on two aspects of the survey methodology.
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Country Case Studies
Find information on historical cases of genocide and other atrocities.