Demand Congressional Leadership On Implementing Findings of the Genocide Prevention Task Force

Implementing Findings of the Genocide Prevention Task Force

Greetings,

We are a group of Americans that are deeply concerned over the lack of a government-wide policy on genocide prevention. Seeing the crises that are threatening to consume Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as previous cases of genocide in Rwanda, Cambodia, and the Holocaust, we believe that genocide and mass atrocities are preventable and that this is always the best choice in conflict management. By creating a new government-wide policy on genocide prevention as outlined by the Genocide Prevention Task Force, which would include the following specific actions designed to better equip the U.S. government to prevent genocide and mass atrocities:

-Having the president himself demonstrate that preventing genocide is a national priority, for example by an early executive order, and continuing public statements on genocide prevention.

-Creating an interagency Atrocities Prevention Committee at the National Security Council to analyze threats of genocide and mass atrocities and consider appropriate preventive action.

-Making warning of genocide or mass atrocities an “automatic trigger” of policy review. Developing military guidance on genocide prevention and response and incorporating it into doctrine and training.

-Preparing interagency genocide prevention and response plans for high-risk situations. Investing $250 million in new funds for crisis prevention and response, with a portion of this available for urgent activities to prevent or halt emerging genocidal crises.

-Launching a major diplomatic initiative to create an international network for information-sharing and coordinated action to prevent genocide and mass atrocities.

-Providing assistance to build capacity of international partners-including the UN and regional organizations to prevent genocide and mass atrocities.

the United States of America can prevent genocide before it even begins. The importance of prevention efforts was made even more evident in Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair's February 2, 2010 congressional testimony on the U.S. government's annual threat assessment, in which the Director linked mass atrocities to a direct national security threat to the United States.

The implementation of the above policy concepts and actions hold the keys to saving hundreds of thousands of lives and potentially saving United States citizens billions of tax-paying dollars from the emergency relief funding the United States pays out to help keep survivors of genocidal campaigns alive. We have learned in retrospect that had the United States acted early in Darfur or in Rwanda, the human death toll in these regions could have been averted, and the billions of dollars the United States paid out, and is still paying out, in the aftermath saved for other projects.

The time for Congressional oversight of implementing the Genocide Prevention Task Force recommendations has never been better, especially with the current crises facing nations such as Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as potential hotspots such as the Central African Republic, Chad, and Burundi. As concerned citizens on this issue, we urge you to push privately and publicly for the Task Force recommendations to be fully implemented, financed, and created.

Sincerely,

[Your name]