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Integrated Approaches

A 2003 series of conferences on atrocities prevention, cosponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. National Intelligence Council, identified several additional “best practices” in this field. Recommendations from these conferences included:

• Creating effective mechanisms for sharing information and analysis on emerging conflicts among a wider range of interested parties, including donor governments, the UN, international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international corporations. If these various organizations develop a shared understanding of a given conflict, they are more likely to be able to implement consistent and coordinated policy responses.
• Having the international community designate a single mediator so that parties to a conflict cannot “shop” for a better deal or play various donor governments and NGOs against one another. Likewise, the coordinated use of carrots and sticks can be a powerful tool for motivating peaceful conduct. If donor countries do not coordinate their policies, or if they fail to follow through on promises or warnings, such incentives lose their credibility.
• Building alliances with a wide range of stakeholders to a conflict, both locally and internationally. It may be possible for negotiators to engage local authorities—like religious leaders or traditional tribal rulers—to support the peace-building process. Neighboring states, regional organizations, and corporations with operations in the region may also be able to play a constructive role.

These recommendations may be modest, but they offer an effective toolkit of options for those in the international community seeking to prevent conflicts from escalating into genocide. Over the past three years, the U.S. government

Discover worthy campaigns to stop genocide

has also made significant strides toward developing an integrated approach to preventing conflict, such as establishing a new office in the State Department dedicated to conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction, for example. Other governments and international organizations, including the UN and the World Bank, have also dedicated increased resources to this challenge. These initiatives offer promising points of contact for NGOs and others dedicated to building a durable peace.

The views expressed here are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

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