Washington, DC – The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) applauded both houses of Congress for passing the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (S.1158) at the end of its final session. Named after Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, the bill ensures the U.S. government is equipped with the most constructive and cost-effective tools to address the root causes of violent conflict worldwide.
Contact: Tim McHugh, Friends Committee on National Legislation, media@fcnl.org; 202-903-2515
“As important as it is to work to end wars, we must also be working to make sure violent wars do not begin in the first place. That should not be a novel American approach to our international relations,” said Diane Randall, FCNL’s Executive Secretary. “After nearly a decade of work to move our nation from fighting wars to preventing them, I am encouraged by the bipartisan leadership Congress has shown in making this bill a reality.”
Introduced in 2017, the Elie Wiesel Act ensures coordination among U.S. government departments to prevent global atrocities from occurring and mandates training for American diplomats to identify early warning signs of genocide. The bill also requires the president to update Congress on measures to lessen violence in specified countries, funding related to conflict prevention initiatives, and a global assessment of instability, conflict, and atrocities.
“It’s not enough to say “Never Again”. We have a shared responsibility to act before it’s too late. Today, Congress took a bold first step by ensuring that the government works with the international community and local partners to identify, prevent, and respond to the risk of atrocities around the world,” said Diana Ohlbaum, FCNL’s Senior Strategist and Legislative Director for Foreign Policy. “Early action to prevent mass atrocities and genocide saves lives, ensures the effective use of taxpayer dollars, and enhances human security.”
For 75 years, FCNL has worked to build pathways to peace, advocating for policies that enable the U.S. to prevent, reduce, transform, and help people recover from violence in all forms. For more information, please visit www.fcnl.org.
