2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT (PDF - 11MB)
From the Co-Directors
We are pleased to provide this 2019-2020 Report that covers the period from January 2019 through July 2020. It is a bit of a misnomer to refer to this as an annual report given the time period covered, but with this adjustment in timing we are now able to have our reporting coincide better with our work schedule.
We are excited to use this report to give you a full update about activities and accomplishments of the Institute over the past 18 months, and to look ahead to the array of new and expanded programs, new events, and new staff, visitors, and partners that will make the coming year at the Institute an exciting one.
At the same time, of course, this report comes to you in the midst of a year unlike any other. The COVID-19 pandemic, the global popular protests sparked by police violence in the United States, and the ongoing political turbulence and democratic fragility in so many countries including our own, combine to produce unprecedented levels of risk for the world’s most vulnerable populations. As we describe the Institute’s progress over the past year, we do so with those increased and emergent risks at the center of our work.
Preventing genocide and mass atrocities often comes down to working on risk assessment: on identifying risk factors that may be common to otherwise very different situations, understanding how different risks may emerge at different stages of a process that might lead to atrocity crimes, calculating which actors or mechanisms might have the best prospects to address and reduce risk, and finding ways to motivate and help them to do so. Risk management lies at the heart of the prevention movement.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a classic case of a “risk multiplier,” stressing and exacerbating virtually every known risk factor for atrocity crimes. Vulnerable populations are of course at increased risk of direct harm from the virus itself: deprived of adequate access to health care and essential medicines and with inadequate economic resources, groups already facing identity-based discrimination and persecution have a multiplied risk of dying from the coronavirus, and this is of course especially true for populations forced into overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in refugee camps. But the negative ‘knock-on effects’ that vulnerable groups face as a result of the pandemic may in many cases be just as if not more severe. Responses to the pandemic intensify the pressure on states already plagued by poor governance, capacity and legitimacy shortfalls, structural economic and social inequalities, poor human rights enforcement, and corrupt political leadership. Already targeted for persecution, vulnerable groups frequently are targets of scapegoating to shift blame and distract attention from state failures. The pandemic itself offers a temptation for authoritarian-minded political leaders to accelerate processes of democratic backsliding, further marginalize inconvenient minorities, quicken the pace for the exploitation of natural resources at the expense of Indigenous peoples, or abandon their obligations toward displaced and refugee populations.
Popular protest movements too can act as catalyzing agents, raising the threat of weak political leadership to begin a slide into mass political violence. Here too, decades of patient research and observation, gained at great cost, have given us early warning signs indicating spikes in risk. We know that political leaders who urge violent responses to peaceful protest, who seek to deploy national militaries for domestic policing, disseminate misleading and inflammatory messages, appeal to law and order as an end in itself, and depict protesting citizens as terrorists and existential threats, are themselves clear warning signs, alerting us of the beginning of a process with very bad outcomes. The days when atrocity prevention experts thought of those processes as confined to the global South are far behind us.
Both COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement for racial justice illustrate that I-GMAP needs to be focused on the United States as well as other parts of the world. It is not a matter of “either/or”, but rather “both/and.” In our courses, our research, and our partnerships, we will increasingly be attentive to maintaining this balance and reflecting inward as well as looking outward.
Risk is a statistical projection, not fate; atrocities are processes, not events. Risk projections are sensitive to targeted interventions, and processes can be analyzed, understood, and interrupted and redirected at multiple points, by a range of different actors. The core of I-GMAP’s mission is making communication, collaboration, and joint action among different prevention actors more effective and productive. If 2020 has so far been a year of multiplying risk and growing division, it is also a time for a rededication to a shared vision of a more peaceful and equitable society, acknowledgement of the unequal burdens of histories of injustice, and undivided attention to the most vulnerable. As risks multiply and political leaders divide, we’ll continue to do our best to add what we can.
Max Pensky, co-director of I-GMAP, professor of philosophy
Nadia Rubaii, co-director of I-GMAP, professor of public administration
New Logo!
I-GMAP has a new logo! Thanks to graphic designer and artist Q. Cassetti, the Institute now has a distinctive new mark. We hope you like the “firebird” design and accompanying graphics that Q. has created for us.
The logo is intended to represent the intersection of multiple concepts that guide our work in atrocity prevention. One’s eye is naturally drawn to the two parts represented by gradient and solid green that combine the imagery of a flame and a dove. If you look carefully to the lower left of the logo, at the white open spaces, you may also notice the petals of a flower. Together the logo represents hope, peace and promise of a better future replacing destruction and pain.
We will be integrating our new look into all of our online and print materials over the next several months, including a comprehensively redesigned website and, beginning in Autumn 2020, a monthly online newsletter.
First Two Years of the Bloom Family Summer Internship in GMAP Awards
Summer 2019 marked the first year of the Bloom Family Summer Internship in Genocide and Mass Atrocity awards. Thanks to the generous support of Susan R. Bloom ’80 and Steven H. Bloom ’78, LHD ’10, I-GMAP offered awards to undergraduate students completing a GMAP minor who participated in a summer internship related to genocide and mass atrocity prevention. This new Bloom Family Summer Internship in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention award supported four students in the summer of 2019 and three students in the summer of 2020, despite most of the world shutting down operations due to the coronavirus pandemic at the prime time when students were searching for internships. These awards provide students with an opportunity to gain experience working alongside practitioners in the field of atrocity prevention in domestic or international settings.
Students are selected based on their academic performance and an application essay, with preference given to students in the Binghamton University Scholars program. As of June 2020, one undergraduate minor completed their degree and we have 10 registered minors.
A quick review of the student awardees these past two years provides a great look at the range of our students’ interests and experiences.
Summer 2019 Awardees
Linda Zheng
Linda Zheng, a rising senior double majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Law (PPL) and Environmental Studies and minoring in GMAP, participated in two programs in transitional justice and commemorative activities for the Armenian Genocide. As part of her summer research, she worked on creating a podcast, “Stone, Wood, and Fire: Remembering the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan and Binghamton,” to collect oral histories and research the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute in Yerevan and the memorial at St. Gregory’s Church in Binghamton. To facilitate this research, she also worked abroad this summer in Armenia at the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), through American Council’s Overseas Professional and Intercultural Training Program (OPIT).
Linda Zheng received this award in honor of Dr. Harold Richter '78.
Mauricio Montes
Mauricio Montes, majoring in Human Development and Psychology and part of the Scholars program, conducted research on the mental health of individuals in Ukraine. He examined the practices Ukrainians engage in to cope with the stressors of living in political and social upheaval and how they adjust to these stressors and respond to pervasive trauma in their day-to-day life. As a part of his research he visited Kiev, Odessa, Mukachevo, and Chernivtsi.
Mauricio hopes to produce work that can be used to give back to the Ukrainian community as well as contribute to communities that have also experienced trauma at large.
Julia Donnelly
Julia Donnelly, a Political Science major, interned with Senator Maire Devine of Ireland’s National Parliament on behalf of the Bloom Family Summer Internship in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention. By interning with Senator Devine’s office, she worked with Irish efforts to confront their history of religious strife and gain invaluable insight into how similar atrocities may be prevented in the future.
Gavin VanHorn
Gavin VanHorn, a Political Science, PPL and Spanish triple major, interned with the GULAG History Museum, an organization trying to preserve the memory of political and societal oppression in the U.S.S.R. He looked to connect his interest in GMAP with his interests in history.
In going into his internship experience, Gavin wrote, “when it comes to genocide and mass atrocity - the epitomes of moral failure in human society - new iterations will occur unless we step up. In learning about and participating in international human rights advocacy, that's exactly what I am going to do. Step up."
Summer 2020 Awardees
Madeleine Maclean
Madeleine Maclean, a Political Science major and Spanish minor, is completing a summer internship with the Refugee Family Reunification Law Clinic at Sheffield-Hallam University in the United Kingdom.
Due to the travel restrictions, Madeleine is completing the internship virtually under the supervision of a mentor based at the legal clinic. In her internship she will be working with the clinic’s attorneys and staff to assist refugees in their cases for applying for family union in the UK. Madeleine told us that, “through this internship, I hope to use the knowledge and skills I've gained through the GMAP program to help those whose lives have been upended by conflict and atrocity."
Benjamin Peterfreund
Benjamin Peterfreund, is double majoring in Philosophy Politics and Law (PPL) and Philosophy and will be interning with Together We Remember. Together We Remember is a nonprofit dedicated to transforming remembrance of past genocides, atrocities, and other acts of identity-based violence into meaningful action to achieve the promise of “Never Again.” Ben told us that, "one of the main themes from my GMAP classes has been the memory of mass atrocities: the politics of memory, the different memory practices of mass atrocities, and what memory even means, have been core questions of my studies." One of his main takeaways from his time with I-GMAP has been the way in which past atrocities are remembered, and the way in which past atrocities impact the present. Ben hopes that from his internship with Together We Remember, he is able to use what he has learned in class into practice, to learn more about the ways in which memory organizations preserve memory, and to be a part of preserving memory of past mass atrocities.
Matthew Rozansky
Matthew Rozansky, a Philosophy, Politics and Law major is working with the Simon Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Internship Program and will be placed in the Bronx Borough President’s Office. The advocacy internship program teaches interns how to use public policy and advocacy to stop anti-Semitism, bigotry, and stereotyping and ensure the proper treatment of minority communities. There he will be placed with local and state legislators to gain hands-on experience about policymaking. Matthew will also be paired with a mentor who helps shape frontline policy decisions. There will also be weekly workshops and meetings with elected officials, lobbyists, coalition builders, and high-level community leaders in order to teach interns how to be effective activists.
In Matthew’s words, “this internship will allow me to understand how my local and state governments handle and address prejudice and discriminatory practices which if left unchecked can lead to genocides. Education about strategies and protocols used by a government to prevent atrocities was a very important aspect for me while looking for an internship. My goal is to gain a practical understanding of how warning signs are discovered and handled and how plans of action are formulated and implemented."
AIPG and I-GMAP Collaborate on the Launch of Mechanisms for Atrocity Prevention Project
The Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG) has tracked the development and outputs of national mechanisms for the prevention of genocide in several countries around the world over the course of the previous eight years. The last three editions of AIPG’s Booklet on National Mechanisms have documented different aspects of establishing a national mechanism, as well as common challenges faced, lessons learned, and best practices in this state-level approach to atrocity prevention.
I-GMAP plans several changes. These will come through the establishment of the Mechanisms for Atrocity Prevention (MAP) Project. In lieu of focusing solely on national mechanisms, the MAP Project will also examine international and regional mechanisms, local or subnational mechanisms, as well as mechanisms that exist in civil society and the private sector. Including these other types of mechanisms in the scope of analysis offers the ability to compare, contrast, and evaluate the effectiveness of a variety of “whole-of-society” approaches to prevention.
I-GMAP envisions that in place of an annual booklet, the MAP project will produce a semi-annual policy paper series. This series will be created for general release and distribution throughout both the community of atrocity prevention practitioners in both state and civil society as well as interested academic researchers. The policy papers will focus on significant advances or setbacks of the national mechanisms when such developments warrant attention and reporting for the field.
Read our full joint announcement on our website.
Master’s Degree in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention Inches Toward Launch
We had hoped that in this Annual Report we would be able to formally announce the Master of Science in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention and introduce the inaugural class of students. Instead we can only report that the bureaucratic approval processes in Albany continue to move at a glacial pace.
The program proposal moved through all levels of campus approvals with strong support, and was formally submitted by the Dean of the Graduate School to the State University of New York (SUNY) Office of Academic Programs and Planning in November 2019. In May of this year, we were asked to provide some additional documentation which we provided immediately. We now understand that because of the truly worldwide scope of the field placements we have arranged for students, the proposal is undergoing an additional level of review at the SUNY Global office. We continue to wait for a decision and confirmation that the proposal has been approved by SUNY and sent to the New York State Education Department for the final authorization.
In the meantime, the list grows longer of prospective students from around the world who have expressed interest in applying to the program. As soon as we have approval, we will begin accepting applications and admitting students to the program.
Staff Updates
I-GMAP Welcomes Its New Office Manager, Yongabi Ngoh
On January 2, 2020, I-GMAP welcomed Yongabi Ngoh as our new Office Manager.
Yongabi brings a wealth of skills to the position developed through a combination of education and experience. Yongabi has an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Syracuse University, with a minor in Global Security Studies and a focus on Intercultural Communications in the Middle East and North Africa. He then earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Binghamton University with an emphasis in nonprofit administration. Upon graduation, he worked for two years for the City of Binghamton Office of Economic Development as an Administrative Assistant and Grants Program Assistant. He has demonstrated his commitment to the values that underlie I-GMAP’s through a variety of student, volunteer and paid activities over the years, including his involvement in Model United Nations, Amnesty International, Global Health Corps, and Artists for Peace and Justice, among others.
Congratulations Dr. Capobianco
We are pleased to announce that I-GMAP Assistant Director Stephen Capobianco successfully defended his PhD dissertation, Understanding Influences for LGBTQI+ Inclusion in International Education: An Exploratory Study, on April 1, 2020 (no foolin’). Stephen’s research examined the intersection of macro, meso and micro factors in explaining the extent to which universities include LGBTQI+ individuals and issues within their international programming. He found that while current federal policies negatively affect LGBTQI+ inclusion, an institution’s location, brand and key individual champions can provide counterbalances that promote LGBTQI+ inclusive international education initiatives.
Stephen did an exceptional job balancing his work responsibilities with researching and writing a dissertation. We look forward to seeing what he will do next with all the free time he has now.
Rania Said, Doctoral Assistant for 2019-20
For the 2019-20 academic year, I-GMAP benefited from the research support of Rania Said, a doctoral candidate in Comparative Literature, who worked as our doctoral research assistant. Rania worked closely with Assistant Director Stephen Capobianco in organizing events and gathering information about mass atrocity prevention activities in the countries of North Africa and West Asia where her proficiency in Arabic and French was essential to access materials.
For her dissertation research, Rania examined women’s narratives from the Arab uprising, drawing examples from literature written by women activists and intellectuals and published in Arabic, French and English. Rania and her research were featured in one of Binghamton University’s alumni profiles so you can read more about her on Binghamton University News' 2020 Commencement Profile Series.
Dr. Rania Said has secured a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Massachusetts Boston. All of us at I-GMAP thank her for her contributions and wish her all the best in this next stage of her professional career.
Kerry Whigham Selected as the First Assistant Professor of Genocide and Mass Atrocity
Prevention
As part of I-GMAP’s overall growth, the development of a master’s degree in GMAP, and plans for developing and expanding online program offerings, we conducted an international search resulting in the hiring of what we believe to be the world’s first tenure track assistant professor of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention.
We had a strong and diverse applicant pool and, in early March, we interviewed four finalists through a series of day-long online presentations and meetings. We sought someone who had a clear commitment to atrocity prevention as well as experience and demonstrated ability to teach multiple courses within the GMAP curriculum; design, develop and deliver online education; contribute to both academic and practitioner dialogues; and advance an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary approach to atrocity prevention. The individual who emerged as best able to meet the varied demands of the position was our very own Dr. Kerry Whigham. In our last annual report, we presented Kerry as a postdoctoral research and teaching fellow for the 2018-19 year. Elsewhere in this report, we feature some of his research accomplishments and teaching innovations as a postdoctoral fellow. Rather than restate his credentials here, we emphasize how he will contribute to I-GMAP in his new position.
Because I-GMAP is an Institute, not an academic department, and because part of our mission is to engage the entire university in atrocity prevention, it was important that the new faculty member have a home in an academic department. Kerry’s tenure berth or academic department affiliation will be with the Department of Public Administration in the College of Community and Public Affairs. The Department faculty, staff and students have welcomed Kerry wholeheartedly and, although his position does not officially begin until late August, Kerry has already begun actively participating in departmental meetings and events. In Fall 2020, Kerry will offer a course in Comparative Genocides and another in Micro-Dynamics of Atrocity Prevention, both GMAP courses will be cross listed with Public Administration. He will also be designing and developing online programs for I-GMAP during this start-up period.
Introducing Our New Charles E. Scheidt Fellows
Increased support from the Charles E. Scheidt Family Foundation and the Office of the University Provost at Binghamton University have made it possible for the Institute to expand its postdoctoral fellowship program. Beginning in 2020 the Institute will host two postdoctoral fellows for yearlong research and teaching residencies. This year's winners were selected from a strong international pool of applicants, from a variety of academic fields, and a strong documented interest in and potential for significant work in atrocity prevention that bridges the divide between academic research and prevention practice. We’re delighted to introduce the Charles E. Scheidt Postdoctoral Fellows in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention for the 2020-21 academic year:
Darcie DeAngelo
Jenny Escobar
Introducing our new Charles E. Scheidt Practitioners
We’re delighted to announce the inauguration of the Charles E. Scheidt Resident Practitioner Program. Thanks to the generous support of the Charles E. Scheidt Family Foundation, we will be hosting two atrocity prevention practitioners per academic year for semester-long residencies here at the Institute.
The Charles E. Scheidt Resident Practitioner Program expands and complements our established program in short-term visits by engaged atrocity prevention actors from around the world, who spend a week with us sharing their experiences and insights, visiting classes, meeting with students and faculty, and presenting their work in a public event.
That program for short-term guests (now the Visiting Practitioner Program) will continue. The new, longer-term residency program selects two annual resident practitioners as the outcome of a rigorous application process, and gives selected practitioners a far more substantial, engaged, and collaborative residency here at the Institute. During their semester-long residencies, the Charles E. Scheidt Resident Practitioners will have the opportunity to take an extended break from their daily activities, to read and reflect on academic literature relevant for their prevention work and learn more about parallel efforts and organizations globally, to engage with Institute faculty and students, and to engage in the full spectrum of Institute activities, including possibly co-teaching a GMAP course. The Program covers resident practitioner’s travel costs and provides a living stipend for the full semester-long stay.
For the 2020-2021 academic year we’re delighted to announce the two inaugural awardees of the Charles E. Scheidt Resident Practitioner Fellowship:
Sellah King’oro
During her stay, Dr. King’oro will be able to supplement her extensive practical experience in atrocity prevention with a comprehensive, comparative academic grounding: “This fellowship will help me dig deeper by interrogating theories and exploring experiences of different countries, with a keen interest in developing countries, and establishing a conceptual understanding of the Mass Atrocity Prevention field,” King’oro says. “In addition, the fellowship will provide an opportunity for me to share my experiences on the work I have been engaged in for the past ten years in atrocity prevention.”
Frank Okyere Osei
“The Institute provides an excellent space for research and reflection that practitioners require to be innovative as well as to broaden their scholarly perspective,” Osei says of his decision to apply for the residency, a decision he says is “also informed by the potential opportunity to highlight the unique atrocity prevention practices of a West African context; a geographic expanse that is perceived as one of the most complex evolving crisis situations in the world. The fellowship will thus provide the space to exchange ideas on best practices in genocide and mass atrocity prevention, especially from an African perspective.”
The original plan was for Sellah to be in residence at I-GMAP in the fall 2020 semester, and for Frank to join us in spring 2021. Given COVID-related restrictions on international travel and university events, both practitioners are currently scheduled to be in residence in the spring.
Visiting Practitioners (formerly known as Practitioners-in-Residence)
Since our last annual report published in January 2019, we have hosted 11 Practitioners-in-Residence. This highly popular program brings active atrocity prevention practitioners, drawn from a broad range of non-governmental organizations, as well as national and international institutions, to Binghamton for a weeklong stay. During their residency, Practitioners-in-Residence meet with faculty, students, staff and university administrators to share their experiences, the work of their agencies, and their views on the prospects for improving atrocity prevention, with a particular focus on enhancing and strengthening collaborations between practitioners and the academic community. They visit multiple classes to share their experiences with both undergraduate and graduate students. Their week concludes with a public presentation on a prevention-related topic of their choice. This past year we started recording their public presentations and taping short interviews as a way to build our digital resource library.
In choosing practitioners to invite, the co-directors look for as broad a range as possible of different approaches, backgrounds, experiences, career trajectories, and global regions. This gives GMAP students a chance for direct and personal encounters with professionals across the full range of contemporary prevention work. It also gives the Institute a valuable opportunity to expand its international network of NGO and government partnerships.
Starting in the 2020-2021 academic year, we will be transforming and expanding our Practitioner-in-Residence program into two distinct tracks. The week-long residencies will continue under the new name of Visiting Practitioner in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention. Additionally, we are proud to announce the new semester-long Charles E. Scheidt Resident Practitioner in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention Fellowship, which has been made possible by the generous support of the Charles E. Scheidt Family Foundation.
A quick review of the practitioners who have visited campus this past year provides a great look at the range and depth of experience of our campus visitors. You can also view their interviews and public presentations on our website and YouTube channel.
Spring 2019
Dr. Tamara Reps Freeman
Dr. Tamara Reps Freeman, Holocaust Ethnomusicologist, Teacher, Viola Recitalist, and Singer, performed her recital lecture titled "Holocaust Songs of Hope and Spiritual Resistance: The Music and Stories of Ghetto and Lagern Prisoners" at the Binghamton University Art Museum. Dr. Freeman played her 1935 Joseph Bausch viola, which was rescued after the Holocaust. With her recital and a special musical piece composed by Dr. Freeman herself, she also honored the original owner of her viola, a woman for whom the instrument was specially tailored, and who also perished in the Holocaust. Dr. Freeman's expertise using music to advance both education on Holocaust history and genocide prevention was a key component of her engagement during her visit.
Savita Pawnday
Savita Pawnday, deputy executive director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P) visited classes, spoke with campus leadership, consulted with our faculty in the Curriculum Development Program and held a public talk on "R2P: Theory, Practice and Implementation." Pawnday oversees the Global Centre's programming in New York and Geneva, and leads on developing innovative institutional mechanisms and capacities needed to prevent mass atrocities both at national and international level. She has worked with governments and regional organizations to enhance prevention through concrete implementation of R2P and was instrumental in launching the Global Network of R2P Focal Points, the largest network of senior government officials of its kind. Currently, Ms. Pawnday is involved in leading Global Centre engagement with UN Peacekeeping and in identifying strategies, including training, on how to enhance protection capacities of peacekeepers on the ground.
Joseph Sebarenzi
Joseph Sebarenzi, the former Speaker of the Rwandan Parliament (1997-2000) and a visiting professor at SIT Graduate Institute, is a survivor of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the author of God Sleeps in Rwanda, a memoir of his personal journey before, during, and after the 1994 genocide. While in residence, he held a public presentation entitled, "A Personal Journey to Forgiveness: Emerging from the Rwandan Genocide with a Positive Psychological Perspective" to a standing-room-only crowd in the Admissions Center auditorium.
Dr. Clara Ramírez-Barat
Dr. Clara Ramírez-Barat, director of the Educational Policies Program at the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities gave a public presentation entitled, "Education as Upstream or Primary Atrocity Prevention," which explored her work integrating an atrocity prevention lens into primary and secondary education in El Salvador and Brazil.
Marlon A. Weichert
Marlon A. Weichert, a deputy federal prosecutor in Brazil, spent his residency talking to faculty and classes about his experience as a lawyer in helping Brazil come to terms with its history of mass atrocities. He delivered a public presentation entitled, "Threatening Speeches Before and After Bolsonaro's Election: What Is At Risk?" Marlon is the first scholar and prosecutor to publicly argue that the Amnesty Law of 1979 was contrary to international law and that crimes against humanity were perpetrated during the dictatorship. He headed the program to search and identify the remains of victims of dictatorship-era crimes, spearheaded the Brazil Never Again Digital Project, and served on the Amnesty Commission, granting reparations for victims of human rights violations during the dictatorship. Marlon was an expert witness before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (2010, 2016, and 2017) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (2008, 2014, and 2015), and has authored numerous publications on human rights and transitional justice.
Andrés Dávila-Ladrón de Guevara
Andrés Dávila-Ladrón de Guevara, director of the Department of Political Science at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia, former director of the Colombian Presidential Program for Integral Action against Anti-Personnel Mines, and director of Justice and Security at the National Department of Planning, joined I-GMAP for a week in conjunction with a visit to the Department of Public Administration. He gave a public presentation at the University Downtown Center about "The Colombian Conflict: Regional Contexts to Build Memory."
Steven Luckert
Steven Luckert ’80, PhD ’93, acclaimed Holocaust educator and curator at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, wrapped up our Practitioner-in-Residence program for the 2018-2019 academic year with a public talk on “Holocaust and Genocide Museums in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities” held in the Binghamton University Art Museum. We are always happy to connect with alumni when they come back to campus.
Fall 2019
In September 2019, we hosted two women from Myanmar visiting upstate New York with support from Cornell University’s Southeast Asia Program. One of these amazing individuals is a medical doctor and sexuality educator who founded a sexuality education organization to teach underserved communities and the other is a self-defense educator with a civil engineering degree. Both women spoke about being Muslim in a predominantly Buddhist country and about personal family histories related to the genocide and other mass atrocity crimes committed by the Mynamar government. They spoke to several of our classes including the first-year seminar on “Genocide Prevention, What Can You Do?” and held a public presentation, which we co-sponsored with the Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls, to a full room entitled, “Breaking Stereotypes Breaking Boundaries: Life Stories of Muslim Feminists from Myanmar.” They asked that we not publicize their names because for them to publically speak about genocide could place them at risk.
Braema Mathi
Braema Mathi, Global Fellow of the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocity at Keene State College and Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore, visited I-GMAP from October 16-20, 2019. Braema is a visiting senior research fellow at the Penang Institute’s History & Regional Studies Programme. She gave a public presentation on “The Landscape of Human Rights in Southeast Asia,” in which she detailed the current state of human rights abuses in Southeast Asia by tracing them back to colonial history and to enduring ethnic conflicts in the region. She also spoke about the difficulties faced by human rights advocates in Southeast Asia, who have to maneuver around the strict “non-intervention” policies of the foundational ASEAN treaties. Finally, Mathi asserted the existence of quiet diplomatic negotiations, the effectiveness of which remains to be assessed.
Dr. Sixte Vigny Nimuraba
Dr. Sixte Vigny Nimuraba, Chair of the Burundian National Commission on Human Rights,
visited from October 21-25, giving a public presentation on "Burundi: Preventing Mass Atrocities and Genocide Through Mechanisms of Social Identity.” He spoke about the underlying causes of identity-based mass atrocities, such as
those experienced in Burundi in the early 1990s, before describing the philosophy
behind some of the CNIDH-led prevention initiatives. Dr. Nimuraba focused mostly on
his institution's work with youth in different parts of the country. He particularly
highlighted the role of guided dialogue strategically incorporated within volunteering
work.
Rachel Brown
Rachel Brown, Executive Director of Project Over Zero and former CEO of Sisi Ni Amani, was on campus from November 4-8, concluding with a public talk on “The Weaponization and Preventative Potential for Communication in Atrocity Prevention.”
In her very interactive public lecture, Brown discussed her interests in helping local peacebuilders mainstream their message. She discussed some of the tools that her organization provided in Kenya, like phone message threads that are designed to become viral and counter messages of political violence. Rachel also stressed the importance of harnessing local nodes in the dissemination of “positive” information.
Spring 2020
Andrew Boyle
Due to the novel Coronavirus 2019 pandemic, the Institute had to postpone the visits of the final three Practitioners-in-Residence. We look forward to finding a time to bring them to campus in the near future. These include Vahidin Omanovic, co-founder and co-director of the Center for Peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Yasmin Ullah, a Rohingya social justice activist, president of the Rohingya Human Rights Network, and research coordinator at Free Rohingya Coalition; and Sebastián Schonfeld, former director of Institutional Relations for the Navy Mechanics School Memory Site Museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Museo Sitio de Memoria ESMA).
Frontiers of Prevention Annual Conference
Two innovations for Frontiers of Prevention II deserve special mention:
First, following up on a commitment made after our inaugural conference, we set aside a dedicated fund to support travel costs for conference presenters traveling to Binghamton from the global South. This fund made it possible to welcome guests from academia, a broad range of civil society institutions, and government service traveling from Ghana, Nigeria, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Indonesia. We were delighted with the response to this new program of support and look forward to welcoming new colleagues from the global South to Binghamton for our future conference.
Second, the 2019 conference introduced larger plenary panels, designed to focus attention on select countries or regions. Like other conference panels, each of these plenary panels brought together academics and practitioners, and included representatives from the country or region in question. One panel focused on the rise in known atrocity risks in Brazil with a special focus on the increased risk to Indigenous people. A second plenary panel offered a comprehensive assessment of the current status and future prospects of Colombia’s peace process, while the third focused on the constrained options for a satisfactory resolution of the displacement of over one million Rohingya refugees driven from Myanmar into Bangladesh.
You can see the complete program for the 2019 Frontiers of Prevention II conference on our website.
Frontiers of Prevention III - Tentatively Rescheduled for April 16-17, 2021
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Frontiers of Prevention III, originally scheduled for April 2020, has been postponed by one year. As we write, we continue to plan for an in-person event, and we remain convinced that the opportunity for academics and practitioners from around the world to meet and interact informally, to share experiences and insights, and to form new relationships and networks is such a valuable dimension of the conference experience that an in-person event is our preferred model. However, given the uncertainties of the coming year, we will also plan for the possibility that our third annual conference may be an online-only event.
Faculty Development Program
In the last newsletter we reported on a then-new Curriculum Development Grant Program to support faculty from across the campus integrate atrocity prevention into new or existing courses. In recognition that this program not only develops new courses, but also helps faculty develop an appreciation for how an atrocity prevention lens can be applied to the full range of teaching, research and service activities, we have modified the name of the program. For more information on the program, you can refer to that article in our previous annual report.
In 2019-20, we welcomed a second cohort, that included:
- Adam Laats, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership
- Aleksey Tikhomirov, Visiting Assistant Professor of Public Administration
- Alex Nikulin, Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies
- Anne Bailey, Professor of History
- Arnab Dey, Associate Professor of History
- Elena Iankova, Director, Center for International Business Advancement, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships
- Kenneth Chiu, Associate Professor Computer Science
The program progressed as planned through the fall semester and into the start of the spring semester and then had to be modified in response to COVID-19 that, among other things, prevented us from hosting the practitioners who had been scheduled for the spring semester. We provided participants in this cohort with two options. Five of the seven faculty in this cohort completed a modified version of the program in a self-paced online format; two faculty decided to postpone completion and to rejoin the next cohort in 2020-21.
As noted in "Online Programming" below, I-GMAP plans to develop a fully-online version of this program and to expand its reach to other SUNY campuses. We are also excited to report that the reputation of the program is getting around as past participants share their experiences with their colleagues. Faculty from Binghamton and elsewhere are now approaching us to express interest in participating future cohorts.
Connecting Students in the Classroom to Prevention Organizations
You may recall that one of the faculty who participated in the Curriculum Development Grant program for faculty in 2018-19 was Professor David Campbell of the Department of Public Administration. Professor Campbell used the I-GMAP program to rethink his course on International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs). For many years, David has offered courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels which have taught students about philanthropy through a process which engages them directly in giving to local organizations through what is known as the Philanthropy Incubator. As he attended I-GMAP workshops, and met with the GMAP instructors and our visiting Practitioners-in-Residence, he developed an idea for bringing this successful model to an international arena to support INGOs contributing to atrocity prevention.
Based on the criteria established by the students – specifically, the scope of the organization’s work, the need for the money, the benefit the grant could provide, and the ability of the grant funds to go a long way – the students selected Rwanda’s Community-Based Sociotherapy to receive the award. Watch for a more detailed account of this story – with accounts from the students and the winning organization – to be featured in other publications of I-GMAP and/or the University in the near future.
Online Programming
In the 2020-2021 academic year, I-GMAP will begin expanding its focus on educator training into the virtual realm. Based on the ongoing success of its Faculty Development program, through which Binghamton University faculty from a diversity of disciplines have been trained to integrate an atrocity prevention lens into their courses, I-GMAP will seek to scale up this program through the creation of online modules.
I-GMAP will be among the first at Binghamton University to take advantage of the newly approved micro-credentialing program. According the university description of the program:
A micro-credential is a program designed to give access to a particular skill set in a shorter or more adaptable time frame than a traditional university course or degree program. They are more narrowly focused and reflect a specific competency, which is displayed through the badge. Micro-credentials offer the opportunity to continue building on your education, as well as adding to your portfolio and improve your standing within the academic world.
I-GMAP will develop micro-credentials for university-level educators, training and certifying them to incorporate atrocity prevention education into the courses they are already offering. The program will be piloted with faculty members at Binghamton University and other SUNY campuses, with the goal of eventually expanding these offerings to universities across the United States and around the world. This new online program will be developed by the entire I-GMAP team and will be administered by its new Assistant Professor in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, Dr. Kerry Whigham.
To date, I-GMAP is the first university institution to train university educators to incorporate atrocity prevention into their home disciplines, and we look forward to scaling up this pioneering effort so that exponentially more students can be exposed to an atrocity prevention lens as they proceed through their university education.
Featured Alum: Stephanie Wright
Atrocity Intervention Simulation Exercise
Over a series of rounds, each team receives a fresh batch of “injects” – highly realistic pieces of information in the form of news bulletins, intelligence assessments, interagency memos and alerts, intercepted diplomatic cables, emails or Twitter posts – and must assess the reliability and significance of the new information, change its policies and strategies accordingly and decide whether and how to coordinate with other teams. Over the multiple rounds, teams learn how to evaluate and act on information in real time, how to assess the dynamic nature of an unfolding conflict, how to make difficult choices amongst non-ideal options, how to evaluate and balance risks and deal with unexpected outcomes. Most significantly, the simulation is designed so that players must also consider the relationship among structural or “upstream” prevention measures, the “midstream” options such as humanitarian intervention if those upstream measures fail, and “downstream” policies and goals to mitigate the risk of recurrence of atrocities.
The Atrocity Intervention Simulation is the creation of Jim Finkel, who draws on his 35-year career in the senior United States civil service to produce a highly realistic and challenging exercise. Finkel was deeply involved for decades in United States policy on genocide and mass atrocity prevention, including the formation of the Atrocity Prevention Task Force. Currently a senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington D.C., Finkel also co-founded and continues to direct the Atrocity Prevention Study Group. In addition to Binghamton University, Finkel has conducted atrocity intervention simulations at Arizona State University, the University of Oregon, and Vanderbilt University.
By all measures this first event was successful: the event was fully enrolled with
74 Binghamton University students signing up. In their post-event assessments, students
were enthusiastic about the realism of the event, the novel forms of group decision-making
that it demanded, and the new insights into the difficulties of coordinating effective,
real-time atrocity responses that they gained.
Given the success of this first-time experiment, I-GMAP will make the atrocity intervention simulation exercise a part of our annual events. Our next simulation exercise is scheduled for October 30-November 1, and for this second event we are delighted to announce that we will be partnering with the United States Military Academy at West Point as co-hosts. The event, which will be fully online, will now offer Binghamton University students a chance to interact with West Point cadets, giving them an opportunity for collaboration and learning that would not otherwise be possible. In addition, for the October event and going forward, the Institute plans to reach out to colleges and universities throughout the SUNY system with invitations for a limited number of places for their students to participate.
Faculty and Staff Engage with I-GMAP
I-GMAP’s Faculty Advisory Committee consists of 13 faculty members from 11 academic departments across four of Binghamton University’s colleges. They are appointed by the Provost for staggered three-year terms.
These faculty, along with participants from the two cohorts of the Curriculum Development Program have volunteered their time and energy to serve on a variety of committees in support of the Institute. All committees are chaired by one of the I-GMAP Co-Directors, faculty or staff, and include other I-GMAP faculty and staff as members. Special thanks to:
- Kent Schull (History) and Andrea MacArgel (Center for Learning and Teaching) for serving on the search committee for the assistant professor of GMAP;
- Adam Laats (TLEL) and David Cingranelli (Political Science) for serving on the search committee for the Charles E. Scheidt post-doctoral fellows;
- Tim De Smet (Geological Sciences) and Aleksey Tikhomirov (Public Administration) for serving on the search committee for the Charles E. Scheidt resident practitioners;
- David Campbell (Public Administration) for assisting with Visiting Practitioner hospitality;
- Doug Holmes (Anthropology), Lubna Chaudhry (Human Development), David Campbell (Public Administration) and Tim De Smet (Geological Sciences) for serving on the Undergraduate Scholarship Committee.
- Ken Chiu (Computer Science), Arnab Dey (History), Adam Laats (TLEL) and Elena Iankova (Business Development & Entrepreneurship) for agreeing to help recruit faculty for the Faculty Development Program.
Additional committees were appointed but had their work delayed as a result of the slow approval process for the master’s degree. These groups will begin their work in earnest in fall 2020 and are recognized here in advance:
- Doug Holmes (Anthropology), Mary Muscari (Nursing) and Pamela Smart (Art History) on the MS in GMAP Admissions Committee;
- Heather DeHaan (History) and Andy Merriwether (Anthropology) on the GMAP Graduate Assistantships Committee; and
- Elena Iankova (Business Development & Entrepreneurship) and Heather DeHaan (History) on GMAP Graduate Student Handbook Committee.
Alumni Donors Supporting Our Work
A New Scholarship for School of Management Students Interested in GMAP
Thanks to the support of School of Management (SOM) alum Avi J. Abel ’98, I-GMAP is now able to offer the Herman and Toby Abel Scholarship to SOM undergraduates interested in pursuing a GMAP minor or SOM alum interested in pursuing the MS in GMAP. The scholarship will be awarded to a student on the basis of academic excellence (as demonstrated by a GPA of at least 3.4) and demonstrated financial need. We are excited about this new opportunity to prepare future leaders in the business sector in atrocity prevention.
Support for Graduate Students in GMAP Ready and Waiting for Students
Thanks to support from Caryn and Howard D. ‘82 Unger, Binghamton University has established the Unger Family Student Support Fund for I-GMAP that will support GMAP graduate students. For the first two years of the program, support may be used for fellowships for study covering tuition, fees and a stipend. In subsequent years, the fund will support travel, lodging and basic living expenses during students’ GMAP field placements. The field placements will match students with an approved prevention-focused organization where they will be embedded in and work full-time for a minimum of four months in the organization. The generous support of the Ungers will allow I-GMAP to make the best field placement matches without regard for the financial resources of the student or the host organization.
Research Produced by I-GMAP
I-GMAP is committed to broadening and deepening the dialogue about atrocity prevention and, more importantly, linking academic scholarship to prevention practice. Our research has been disseminated through traditional academic outlets (journal articles and books/book chapters), through practitioner outlets (in reports), and through media outlets. We invite you to examine some of the following to get a sense of the work we are doing and how we are sharing it with the world.
Academic Publications
Pensky, M. (2019). Of straw men and humanitarians: On Rajan Menon’s the conceit of humanitarian intervention. Journal of Genocide Research, 21(1), 102-107.
Pensky, M. (2019). Impunity: A philosophical analysis. In M. Bergsmo (Ed.), Philosophical Foundations of International Criminal Law, (Vol. 2, pp. 241-267). CILRAP Publishing.
Rubaii, N., Appe, S., and Lippez-De Castro, S. (2019). Administering prevention or administering atrocities? Public affairs education in dark times. Teaching Public Administration, 37(2), 175-189.
Rubaii, N., Lippez-De Castro, S., and Appe, S. (2019). Pueblos indígenas como víctimas de los genocidios pasados y actuales: un tema esencial para el currículo de administración pública. América Latina Revista OPERA (Observatorio de Políticas, Ejecución y Resultados de la Administración Pública, 25, 29-54.
Whigham, K. (2019). Scenarios of intractability: Reframing intractable conflict and its transformation. Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal 13(3), 44-63.
Whigham, K. (2019). Reading the traces: Embodied engagement with the past at three former nazi concentration camps. Holocaust Studies: A Journal of Culture and History, 26(2), 221-240.
Rubaii, N. and Appe, S. (2020). Confronting nervousness at the intersection of indigenous and gender Issues: A case study of Mexico’s efforts, accomplishments, and remaining work. In S. Gooden (Ed.), Global Equity in Administration: Nervous Areas of Government.
Whigham, Kerry. (2020). Memory Encroachments and Re-Plotting the Past: Cartographies of Violence and Memory in Post-Atrocity Argentina, Germany, and the United States. In E. Barkan, C. Goschler & J. Waller (Eds.), Historical Dialogue and the Prevention of Mass Atrocities. Routledge.
Publications in Media Outlets
Pensky, M. (2019, July). Why is the UN's Response to Rohingya Persecution So Powerless? The Globe Post.
Rubaii, N. and Pensky, M. (2020). Commentary on “Is there a Responsibility to Protect the world from pandemics?” A conversation initiated by the Centre for Geopolitics.
Rubaii, N. and Araujo Jr., J.J. (2020, July). La justicia brasileña ordena a Bolsonaro proteger a los pueblos indigenas del coronavirus. The Conversation.
Rubaii, N. and Araujo Jr., J.J. (2020, July). Judge orders Brazil to protect Indigenous people from ravages of COVID-19. The Conversation.
Rubaii, N. and Araujo Jr., J.J. (2020, July). Bolsonaro, víctima de COVID-19, como miles de indígenas que viven a varios días del hospital más cercano. The Conversation.
Rubaii, N. and Araujo Jr., J.J. (2020, July). Brazil’s Bolsonaro has COVID-19 – and so do thousands of Indigenous people who live days from the nearest hospital. The Conversation.
Practitioner Reports
Rubaii, N. and Appe, S. (2019). Buenas prácticas en la protección de los derechos de pueblos indígenas originarios para la prevención de atrocidades (and the English translation, Good practices in the protection of indigenous rights for atrocity prevention). A report prepared for the Latin American Network for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention.
Whigham, K. (2020). Truth Commissions and Their Contributions to Atrocity Prevention. Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities.
MOAs in Action
Assistant Director Stephen Capobianco Completes Fulbright Specialist Project
In August 2019, I-GMAP Assistant Director Stephen Capobianco completed a Fulbright Specialist project at CECAR. Capobianco spent a little over two weeks in Sincelejo and completed a project on "Promoción de la Igualdad Social y la inclusión en las políticas públicas" (Promotion of Social Equality and Inclusion in Public Policies) with colleagues at CECAR.
CECAR published a short piece on his trip.
MOA with University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, approved; awaiting final signatures
A Memorandum of Agreement between Binghamton University and the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, that focuses on I-GMAP at Binghamton and the Centre for Genocide Studies and the Peace Observatory of the University of Dhaka, has been approved by the leaders of both universities.A formal signing of the agreement has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but we continue to move forward with plans for collaborations.
I-GMAP is particularly appreciative of the staff of the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City for their support and encouragement through the process.
I-GMAP at Global Events
I-GMAP Co-Director Nadia Rubaii in Colombia
Co-Director Nadia Rubaii is pictured here with Cathalina Sánchez Escobar, Director of the Museo Casa de Memoria (House of Memory Museum) in Medellín, Colombia.
On January 30, 2019, as part of a broader visit to Medellín, Colombia, Nadia toured the Museum and met with Director Cathalina Sánchez Escobar. The timing of the meeting was perfect as Director Sánchez Escobar, who has a PhD in Law with an emphasis in Human Rights and Legal History, started her new position at the Museum only days before and is eager to expand the activities of the museum. The two discussed opportunities for field placements at the Museum for GMAP master's degree students, and the opportunity for scholars to access the extensive archival resources related to the Colombian conflict in the region of Antioquia stored at the Museum.
I-GMAP Assistant Director Stephen Capobianco Speaks at Congregation Kol Ami
On Friday, February 8, 2019, Assistant Director Stephen Capobianco represented I-GMAP at the Congregation Kol Ami's monthly Synaplex Shabbat Event in White Plains, N.Y. The event organized by Jess Lorden '83 is titled "Never Again? Preventing Genocide."
In addition to speaking on the panel, Stephen led a breakout dialogue session. I-GMAP's breakout focused on how atrocity prevention can and should be part of the curriculum across all disciplines.
The event also featured Owen Pell ‘80, LLD ‘11, I-GMAP External Advisory Board member and strong supporter of I-GMAP and Binghamton University.
I-GMAP in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
In July, four staff members at I-GMAP traveled to Phnom Penh for the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) 2019 conference.
Binghamton University was well represented at the international conference with several panels including our faculty, staff and affiliated students.
- Co-director, Prof. Max Pensky presented on "Genocide Prevention and the Battle Against Impunity: A Critical Reconstruction and Analysis";
- Co-director, Prof. Nadia Rubaii delivered a presentation on "Preventing Genocide and Mass Atrocity of Indigenous Peoples: The Challenges of Simultaneous Multi-Stage Prevention";
- Our Post-doctoral Fellow, Dr. Kerry Whigham chaired a panel on "Artivism: Art and Social Transformation in the Face of Mass Violence";
- And with Assistant Director Stephen Capobianco, the team in Phnom Penh joined a roundtable on "Best Practices for Institutionalizing Genocide Prevention."
I-GMAP Represented at the 10th Focal Points Meeting of the Latin American Network for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities
Co-director Nadia Rubaii and Assistant Director Stephen Capobianco traveled to Asunción, Paraguay for the 10th Focal Points meeting of the Latin American Network for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities.
Nadia presented a report at the meeting based on a survey of member countries regarding their policies and programs to protect indigenous rights. Stephen met with the members of the network to begin the transition process of the reporting on National Mechanisms for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocity Crimes from AIPG to Binghamton University.
As a team, we are continuing our work with the Network and individual Focal Points on project ideas related to protecting the rights of indigenous people and other marginalized groups in the region.
I-GMAP at the 2019 Symposium for Alumni of the Raphael Lemkin Seminars
Co-director Max Pensky and assistant director Stephen Capobianco attended the 2019
Symposium for Alumni of the Raphael Lemkin Seminars in Paris, France. The symposium
was hosted by the Auschwitz Institute, the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, and the George and Irina Schaeffer Center for the Study of Genocide, Human Rights and Conflict
Prevention. Post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Kerry Whigham also presented a refresher seminar for the
participants at the symposium.
Max and Stephen made extensive use of the informal times in between sessions to speak with participants from around the world about their roles in mass atrocity prevention in order to establish new partnerships for I-GMAP. They were fortunate to speak with several participants who work closely with or who are a part of their respective country's national mechanism.
Post-doctoral Research and Teaching Fellow, Dr. Kerry Whigham Speaks at Kupferberg Holocaust Center
Given that conflict history is one of the key predictors for atrocity violence, dealing
with a history of past violence plays an essential role in any comprehensive atrocity
prevention strategy. I-GMAP's 2018-2020 post-doctoral research and teaching fellow
and incoming assistant professor of GMAP, Dr. Kerry Whigham gives a talk at the Kupferberg
Holocaust Center (KHC) at Queensborough Community College (City University of New
York) on February 18. He joined Todd Fine, president of the Washington Street Advocacy
Group, for an event on "Memorialization and Memory" as part of KHC/NEH 2019-2020 Colloquium:
Authoritarianism on the Continuum.
Co-Director Nadia Rubaii Presents at the Women, Peace and Security Conference
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the three-day Women, Peace and Security Conference at Binghamton University went online using the Zoom web conferencing platform. Our colleagues at Binghamton University's Human Rights Institute and the Ellyn Uram Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls sponsored the Women, Peace and Security Conference, along with partners at the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice (Sheffield Hallam University) and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Academic Network.
On Friday, April 24, 2020 our Co-Director, Prof. Nadia Rubaii presented on “State ‘Nervousness’ as a Continued Threat to Indigenous Women’s Security” on a panel regarding Violence Against Indigenous Women. For the full program, refer to the HRI website.
Co-Director, Prof. Max Pensky Speaks on Burma Task Force Panel
On May 20, 2020, the Burma Task Force, a project of Justice for All, hosted a panel where Max virtually joined Nadira Kourt, program manager at the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect to discuss our work in atrocity prevention.
Justice for All is an NGO funded by a range of faith community donors and operates campaigns to raise public awareness of human rights violations.
Co-Director Nadia Rubaii Joins Panel for Launch of New Risk Monitoring System in Colombia
On Thursday, June 4, 2020 Professor Rubaii, co-director of I-GMAP, joined a panel of experts to discuss different aspects of the monitoring system and the relevance of this system as a prevention tool. This panel was hosted by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and Javeriana University in Colombia.
Nadia joined others to bring an international perspective on monitoring systems and lessons from other countries to an online audience of close to 9,000. Her panel included Diego García-Sayán, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers and former judge on the Interamerican Court of Human Rights, Andrei Gómez Suárez, professor at the Institute of the Americas at University College London (UCL), and Eugenia Carbone, director of the Latin American Program at the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities and technical secretariat of the Latin American Network for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention.
The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and Javeriana University launched a new monitoring system of risks, designed to assess risks and serve as a prevention tool of human rights violations and atrocity crimes.
Co-Director, Prof. Max Pensky Joins Panel on R2P, International Justice and the Battle Against Impunity
On May 13, 2020, Co-Director, Professor Max Pensky spoke on a panel hosted by the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Geopolitics on R2P, International Justice and the Battle Against Impunity.
He joined Andrew Mitchell, member of the British parliament for Sutton Coldfield & Secretary of State for International Development from 2010 to 2012 and Savita Pawnday, deputy executive director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect based in New York.
Incoming Assistant Professor of GMAP, Dr. Kerry Whigham Speaks on University of Cambridge Panel
The incoming Assistant Professor of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, Dr. Kerry
Whigham joins a panel hosted by the University of Cambridge's Centre for Geopolitics
on June 17, 2020. The title of the panel is, "Advocacy and Memory: the role for NGOs
in R2P." He joins Wai Wai Nu, founder and director of You Leadership Center in Yangon,
current Obama Foundation Scholar at Columbia University and Karen Smith, special adviser
to the UN Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect.
“NGOs and civil society actors around the world play an important role in implementing the promise of Responsibility to Protect. Whether advocating for accountability for atrocity crimes, lobbying national governments, promoting awareness of the principles of sovereignty as responsibility, or preserving the memory of victims, NGOs have been a key component of the vibrant civil society support for R2P. Given the particularly challenging environment that NGOs find themselves in during the pandemic and associated political developments, how can they adapt to these new circumstances? And what happens to the Responsibility to Protect if NGOs are less able to operate? What might NGOs do to ensure they are able to continue fulfilling this role? And what would be the consequences for suffering populations if the economic and political climate for humanitarian NGOs deteriorates further?” - From the Centre for Geopolitics.
Co-Director Nadia Rubaii Presents on University of Cambridge Panel, “Indigenous Peoples & the Responsibility to Protect”
On July 15, 2020, Co-Director Nadia Rubaii participated in a virtual panel discussion regarding Indigenous Peoples and the Responsibility to Protect hosted by the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge. The panel also included India Reed Bowers, founder & director of the International Organization for Self-Determination & Equality (IOSDE) and Karine Duhamel, researcher-curator at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. The discussion was organized around the following questions: How can we understand R2P as a mechanism for protecting minority groups subject to long standing historical practices of oppression? And how does the ‘State-centric’ focus of R2P account for the formal rights of autonomy and self-determination held by many indigenous peoples? You can watch the panel discussion on the University of Cambridge’s Video & Audio Collections website and read an extended version of her remarks.
Thank You to All I-GMAP Supporters
We wish to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all those who have supported the work of I-GMAP since it was established.
Mr. Avi J. Abel '98
Bloom Family LLC
Dr. Steven H. Bloom '78, LHD '10
Mrs. Susan R. Bloom '80
Dr. Lorrie Ann Clemo, MA '87, PhD '88
Fidelity Charitable
Mrs. Doris Freedman '90
Mr. Jonathan P. Freedman
Mrs. Barbara Moran Heiles '80
Mr. Jonathan L. Heiles '82
Dr. Ellyn Uram Kaschak '65
Mr. William B. Landis IV '13
Mrs. Jessica Helene Morgenthal
Mr. Lawrence R. Morgenthal '88
Mr. Elliott Ober '71
Ms. Marsha Ober '73
Dr. Owen C. Pell '80, LLD '11
Dr. Marc I. Rozansky '81
Mrs. Sherri Rozansky
Mr. Charles E. Scheidt
Charles E. Scheidt Family Foundation
Schwab Charitable
Ms. Doryce Seltzer '74
Dr. Terry F. Seltzer '73
Mrs. Caryn Unger
Dr. Howard D. Unger '82, LHD '19
Opportunities to Support the Work of I-GMAP
If the work of I-GMAP is important to you, we welcome your support. There are many ways in which you can help us expand our reach and impact.
Our long-term success depends on our ability to secure grant funds and to generate additional support from individuals and organizations dedicated to the work of genocide and mass atrocity prevention so that the Institute’s activities are sustainable. We are appreciative of the individuals who responded to last year’s Report and made donations to help us achieve our goals. Our most immediate priorities for the coming year include developing and securing financing for:
- Graduate Student Tuition Scholarships to support students in the world's first Master of Science in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention degree program. Support will ensure a diverse student body and make the master’s degree possible for individuals with financial need, including those from the global South. Scholarships can be awarded based on geographic, disciplinary background or other criteria.
- Global South Scholarships to support conference participation by prevention practitioners and scholars from the global South. Scholarships can be targeted to specific countries.
- Education Abroad Scholarships for students in the undergraduate GMAP minor to participate in short-term programs to post-conflict locations. Scholarships can be targeted to students with the greatest financial need or using other criteria.
- Additional Field Placement Scholarships for GMAP master's degree students, who will work alongside prevention practitioners in civil society, government or the private sector. Scholarship support can be targeted to certain types of students, field placements in specific countries or regions, or particular types of prevention agencies.
- Online Curriculum Development to allow I-GMAP to expand more rapidly and broadly its faculty development and the master’s degree program around the world.
- Faculty Development Grants so that we can reach more faculty across all disciplines within Binghamton University and across the SUNY system and prepare them to incorporate an atrocity prevention focus in their classes.
- Innovative Pedagogy Grants so that the faculty who successfully complete our Faculty Development program can put their ideas into action and implement creative pedagogies in their classes.
For further information about any of the initiatives mentioned above or if you would like to discuss other areas of possible collaboration, please contact I-GMAP Co-Directors Max Pensky (mpensky@binghamton.edu) or Nadia Rubaii (nadia.rubaii@binghamton.edu).
For further information about establishing an endowment, gifts of stock or options for planned giving, please contact Vice President for Advancement John Koch (jkoch@binghamton.edu).
Maxim A. Pensky
Professor; Co-Director
Philosophy; Institute of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP)
No profile found.
No profile found.
Yongabi Ngoh
Assistant Director of Graduate School Operations
Graduate School
Kerry Whigham
Assistant Professor, Public Admin, Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, Co-Director IGMAP; Assistant Professor of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention
CCPA Public Administration; Institute of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP)
