Write to Congress to express your support for strengthening the U.S. Government prevention toolkit and urge them to provide leadership on this humanitarian and national security issue.
FCNL partnered with New America to convene a bipartisan panel on the future of atrocity prevention. The event highlighted the recommendations outlined in the Experts Committee report, A Necessary Good: U.S. Leadership on Preventing Mass Atrocities.
Watch the event.
Cycles of violence in Syria, South Sudan and elsewhere demonstrate the devastating impact that mass atrocities can have – lives are lost, global security is undermined, and economic costs mount. We must not only protect those currently impacted by violence, but also create and support policies that prevent atrocities from happening in the future. Early prevention of mass atrocities is cost-effective and ensures U.S. national security, and it is the right thing to do because it saves lives and prevents the use of military force.
The panelists stressed the importance of protecting the atrocity prevention tools that are in place, such as the Atrocity Prevention Board, Complex Crises Fund, and Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, as well as expanding the prevention toolkit and finding new champions in Congress and the Administration.
What’s next?
When examining the devastating implications of the current refugee crisis, it is crucial to not only advocate for policies that protect those currently impacted by violence, but also that prevent atrocities from happening in the future. We agree with the conclusions of the bipartisan panel that the U.S. will incur devastating economic, humanitarian, and security costs if prevention is not prioritized and if access to the tools we currently have in place is threatened. In 2016 we worked to introduce the first-ever bill in the Senate to codify critical atrocities prevention tools, and led work to convene the bipartisan group of experts that developed A Necessary Good: U.S. Leadership on Preventing Mass Atrocities. In 2017, we will continue to work with Congress and the Trump Administration to support early prevention of violent conflict and atrocities.
What You Can Do
FCNL’s Peacebuilding team is currently lobbying Congress on the importance of investing in prevention tools in order to save money, protect lives, and defend national security interests. We plan to reintroduce the Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act in the Senate, and introduce a similar bill in the House. You can play an integral role in this effort by contacting your Senators and Representative expressing your support for investing in prevention so the U.S. Government has access to a robust toolkit to stop atrocities before they start.