Where Did APSG Take Us in 2024?

A year of engagement with practitioners and academics on innovative approaches to atrocity prevention in the US and globally

Throughout 2024, Stimson’s Atrocity Prevention Study Group (APSG) continued to engage US-based and global audiences on strengthening atrocity prevention capacities and commitments by bringing together policymakers and practitioners to share resources and knowledge on atrocity prevention and identify challenges, good practices, lessons learned, and policy options.

Through monthly meetings, the APSG discussed historical trends, emerging conflicts, and persisting questions relating to atrocity prevention. The meetings’ virtual format allowed over 450 practitioners and experts from more than a dozen countries to participate in APSG discussions over the year. Themes ranged in topic and geographical focus, yet continued to draw from the expertise of respected practitioners and experts in this field. In addition to the monthly meetings, the APSG also supported research examining the work of the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. The forum continued to serve as an important resource not only for U.S. audiences but for atrocity prevention communities across the globe.

Issue Brief

In 2024, the APSG supported research by experts in the atrocity prevention space through the publication of an issue brief:

Meeting and Featured Speakers

The list below documents the monthly meetings that the APSG held in 2024. As a practice, the APSG holds non-attributable meetings, yet select presenters have agreed to have their remarks recorded and made publicly available. These recordings have been linked in the title names below.

  • Current and Past US Prevention Challenges in Darfur (January 18, 2024): Assessing the current situation and past policy approaches to conflict in Darfur.
    • Niemat Ahmadi, Darfur Women Action Group
    • Nicola Pyatt, Nonviolent Peaceforce
    • Rebecca Hamilton, American University Washington College of Law
  • Syria Betrayed (February 13, 2024): A look at the book Syria Betrayed by Alex Bellamy.
    • Alex Bellamy, Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, The University of Queensland, Australia
  • AI-Powered Early Warning Models (March 21, 2024): A discussion on the potential of two AI-powered early warning models.
    • Chris Mahoney, Peloria
    • Erik Wibbels, DevLab, University of Pennsylvania
  • Annual List Comparison (April 25, 2024): Assessing quantitative and qualitative findings with a particular look at the Global Fragility Act (GFA) countries.
    • Bejamin Valentino, Dartmouth College
  • UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect and Starvation Crimes in Tigray (May 16, 2024): A look at an upcoming publication on the UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect and another publication on starvation crimes in Tigray.
    • Douglas Irvin-Erickson, George Mason University
    • Ernesto Verdeja, University of Notre Dame
    • Shane Goetz, United States Institute of Peace
  • Keith Mines’ Book Why National Building Matters (June 13, 2024): Reflecting on the experiences of atrocity prevention and good governance promotion around the world.
    • Keith Mines, United States Institute of Peace
  • Benjamin Hess’s “Beyond Response, Strengthening the US Response to Atrocity Prevention” (August 29, 2024) Reflecting on the findings of a research product produced by Benjamin Hess as part of his sabbatical at the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy’s Counterterrorism and Public Policy Fellowship Program.
    • Benjamin Hess, US Department of State
  • Annual Research Exchange (September 19, 2024): Connecting people working on similar issues, revealing gaps and opportunities for future research, and bringing members of the prevention community together.
    • Emily Sample, Fund for Peace
    • Gwendolyn Whidden, University of Oxford
    • Christopher Tuckwood, The Sentinel Project
    • Sydney Litterer, Michigan State University
    • Paul Slovic, University of Oregon
    • Kristin Smith, American Bar Association
    • Charles Anderton, College of the Holy Cross
    • Lawrence Woocher, Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide
  • Lauterpacht and Lemkin (October 16, 2024): Reflecting on the work of two twentieth-century giants of international law and today’s international legal landscape.
    • Philippe Sands, University of College London
    • Douglas Irvin-Erickson, George Mason University
    • Federica D’Alessandra, University of Oxford
  • Mixed Discussion (November 21, 2024): A close look at a new evidence-based initiative for preventing and mitigating atrocities and armed conflict.
    • Mô Bleeker, United Nations
    • Benjamin Valentino, Dartmouth College
  • Zimbabwe’s Future (December 5, 2024): Understanding the developing political situation in Zimbabwe, its history, and what lies ahead.
    • Chipo Dendere, Wellesley College
    • Idriss Nassah, Human Rights Watch
    • Larry Garber, Consultant

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