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Resources for Policy Professionals

The Simon-Skjodt Center works to equip policy makers with the tools and information to recognize early warning signs of genocide and related crimes against humanity, and the resources to prevent them. These include how to identify early warning signs, understand the tools available to prevent and halt these crimes, and advance justice and accountability.

Country Work

The Simon-Skjodt Center produces Country Case Studies on historical cases of genocide and other mass atrocities, places where these crimes are currently underway or populations are under threat, and areas where early warning signs call for concern and preventive action. See all country specific reports and our fact sheets:

Simon-Skjodt Center Resources for Policy Makers

The Simon-Skjodt Center has produced the following resources to assist policy makers in recognizing and responding to early warning signs of genocide and related crimes against humanity.

  • Developed by the Simon-Skjodt Center and Dartmouth College, the Early Warning Project is a first-of-its-kind prevention tool that utilizes data analysis, crowd forecasting, and qualitative assessments to help policy makers identify countries at risk of mass killing to prioritize responses to prevent such crimes. 

  • The “lessons learned” project includes Tools for Atrocity Prevention, an interactive web resource to help think through how to prevent mass atrocities. The site highlights 23 different tools to help prevent mass atrocities, and summarizes research on when and how they can be used most effectively.

  • The handbook offers guidance on what victim groups can do to advance justice efforts during and in the aftermath of genocide and related crimes against humanity.

  • This book is geared toward practitioners and students seeking an introduction to key issues. It surveys research and policy questions at the heart of efforts to prevent genocide and mass atrocities and presents key insights into US and international efforts to prevent these crimes.

  • This report explains why genocide and mass atrocities threaten core American values and national interests. It spotlights genocide prevention as a national priority, and shares practical policy recommendations to enhance the capacity of the US government to respond to emerging threats of mass atrocity crimes.

  • This report reviews the experience of the US government across recent decades in making decisions to say—or not to say—that genocide has occurred in a country. It reviews the political, policy, and legal difficulties that the US government has encountered in considering whether or not to do so.

  • This document is designed to support policy makers and advocates in thinking through the strategies most relevant to preventing instances of large-scale, systematic violence against civilian populations. It does not argue for or against any particular strategy or tool, but suggests that more systematic consideration about strategies should yield more effective responses.

  • The Center's Preventing Genocide blog posts information about our reports, Center events, and analysis from our staff and fellows.

Relevant Mass Atrocity Prevention Policy Tools

These resources are produced by the United States Government and United Nations to assist policy makers in anticipating, preventing, and responding to mass atrocities.