In February 2013, the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities and the African Union Commission (AUC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding towards building regional and sub-regional programs in genocide and mass atrocity prevention. Today, though its Africa Programs, AIPG is working directly with individual practitioners, regional organizations, and national mechanisms by offering technical assistance and capacity building for genocide and mass atrocity prevention across the African continent.
Our programs in Africa aim to familiarize state officials and civil society leaders in AU Member States with the concept of genocide, its relation to the broader category of mass atrocity, and the process by which genocide occurs. In order to promote and widen the spectrum of timely interventions, effective humanitarian assistance, and increased monitoring of at-risk Member States within the AU community — all with the goal of preventing genocide and mass atrocities — AIPG’s African Programs operate on three core principles:
Practical and in-depth training on genocide and mass atrocity prevention for focal points and other actors within AU Member States by experienced instructors.
Development of national action plans and infrastructural elements for prevention-specific policy formulation and implementation to meet self-identified needs for democracy, human rights, good governance, and election management, as necessary conditions for genocide and mass atrocity prevention.
Regular consultations with civil society, national, regional, and sub-regional actors to assess our programs’ cooperative aspects and effectiveness, ensuring that individual states are the driving force under the supervision of the African Union Commission.
The Auschwitz Institute believes that decades of political instability and armed conflicts on the African continent are best solved by investing in preventive mechanisms that will sustainably curb future conflict. As AU Member States begin to participate in AIPG’s Africa Programs, collaborative efforts will aim to accomplish shared objectives of preventing genocide and mass atrocities.
For more information about our work in Africa, please contact Ashad Sentongo, Africa Programs Director or Abbas Muluubya, Project Officer for Africa Programs.