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Announcements and Recent Analysis

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  • Vice President Biden Discusses US Approach to Genocide Prevention

    On February 24, 2011, the Museum held a special event in honor of the life and legacy of the late U.S. Representative Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress. In his remarks, featured speaker Vice President Joseph Biden spoke about the United States' current approach to genocide prevention. He credited the Genocide Prevention Task Force--convened by the Museum with the U.S. Institute of Peace and The American Academy of Diplomacy--for making genocide prevention "an integral part of our national security apparatus."  

  • The Promise of a World without Genocide

    Twenty five years ago, on February 19, 1986, the US Senate ratified the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. But this ratification was not easily accomplished. Nor was it a foregone conclusion.  

  • Continued Violence Against Sudanese Civilians

    On February 7, 2011, Sudanese authorities released the final results of the near-unanimous vote for southern independence from the North, and President Bashir reiterated his commitment to respect the South’s decision. The process was largely peaceful and well-organized, an important achievement given Sudan’s recent history of war, but its conduct also raised questions about the political challenges that now await Southern Sudan. Jort Hemmer, of the Conflict Research Unit in the Netherlands, observes:

  • In Uganda, A Voice for Human Rights is Murdered

    Yesterday afternoon, David Kato, a prominent Ugandan gay rights activist, was beaten to death in his home near the capital, Kampala. His death comes four months after his picture, name, and home address—along with similar information for several other people—were published on the front page of a local tabloid under the headline “Hang Them.”  

  • Concern for Côte d’Ivoire

    As the political standoff in Côte d’Ivoire enters its seventh week, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) issued a second statement on Wednesday about human rights violations in the aftermath of disputed presidential elections. “We remain gravely concerned about the possibility of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Côte d’Ivoire. We believe that urgent steps should be taken, in line with the 'responsibility to protect', to avert the risk of genocide and ensure the protection of those at risk of mass atrocities,” the statement said.  

  • As South Sudan Votes, Violence Troubles Border Region

    With great euphoria at this long-awaited moment, South Sudanese began voting on Sunday in a referendum on independence from the North. Over the next week, more than three million people are expected to go to the polls, and, so far, voting in the South has been peaceful and smooth. One man cycled for two days to cast his vote in Rumbek, the capital of Lakes state, where herders sometimes move long distances with their animals. “Some of those traveling from the cattle camps had arranged for relatives to look after their cattle before rushing back and swapping so that others could travel to vote,” reports the BBC.