Most proposals for preventing mass atrocities and genocide in conflict-affected states tend to focus on externally generated diplomatic, economic, or military interventions. For earlier and more durable long-term prevention, attention needs to be given to internal measures that can make political systems more responsive to diverse constituencies.

Based on the experiences of Nigeria and South Africa, this paper examines how states may promote a greater level of protection against the threat of mass-atrocity violence. An atrocity-prevention lens is used to consider how diversity might be effectively managed through inclusive political processes, institutional mechanisms, and governance policies.

In addition:
Building State Capacity to Prevent Atrocity Crimes: Implementing Pillars One and Two of the R2P Framework

By David J. Simon

Implementing the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) requires a concerted domestic and international effort to build domestic atrocity-prevention capacity. This policy brief focuses on the aspects of state and local capacity building—assisted where appropriate through international cooperation—that offer the best hope of realizing R2P principles before the prospect of adversarial intervention arises.