Continuing to build the Will to Intervene
In 2010, Concordia’s Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) made remarkable progress encouraging the U.S. and Canadian governments to take action towards the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities worldwide.
MIGS’ report Mobilizing the Will to Intervene (W2I) – released September 2009 and published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in fall 2010 – led the Obama administration to implement two of its recommendations (see Journal, September 13, 2010).
In April, the US created the position of Director for War Crimes Atrocities and Civilian Protection at the National Security Council (a position filled by human rights lawyer David Pressman, who had been advisor to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright); and, in June, the Interagency Policy Committee on Preventing Mass Atrocities was established.
As a result of their notable progress, MIGS solidified a partnership with the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria in South Africa in November. The partnership will facilitate research into the report’s second phase, aimed at developing similar counter-genocide recommendations for the governments of South Africa and the United Kingdom.
MIGS Director Frank Chalk says headway has been made in locating leading British academics with whom they will collaborate.
Chalk states MIGS continues to push the Canadian government to adopt the recommendations of the first report, none of which has been implemented to date.
As well, to cultivate support from the municipal level, MIGS established a series of Civic Dialogues – facilitating discussion amongst municipal government councils and public intellectuals in major North American cities.
As a result of a Civic Dialogue in Vancouver in November 2009, the City of Vancouver officially proclaimed support for the Will to Intervene Project in 2010.
Related links:
• Montreal Institute of Genocide and Human Rights Studies
• Will to Intervene: One year later – from Concordia Journal, September 13, 2010
• Concordia researchers prompt action from Obama administration – Now, September 13, 2010
• Vancouver designates Will to Intervene Day – Now, November 16, 2010