Genocide Alert e.V. is a German human rights organization which advocates for the effective prevention and punishment of grave human rights violations such as genocide and crimes against humanity. Since its founding in 2007, Genocide Alert has conducted active political consultancy and public outreach with the aim of pushing Germany and the European Union towards a more responsible, solidary and human rights based foreign policy.
Genocide Alert is a registered non-profit organization which is based in Berlin and has regional branches in all of Germany.
Our Goal
Our goal is the full implementation of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), which was passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005, and the global prosecution of all persons who are guilty of committing grave human rights violations. We are actively engaged in holding Germany and the European Union accountable for their international responsibility to prevent mass atrocities. Genocide Alert lobbies for human rights and advocates for the protection of civilians in armed conflicts as well as for the protection of vulnerable groups from systemic violence in times of peace. In this context, Genocide Alert confronts past, present and imminent mass atrocity crimes. We address those situations where international pressure is needed the most, but difficult to build.
Our work is marked by Germany’s history, which teaches us to never look away from systematic human rights violations. The mass atrocity crimes in Ruanda, Bosnia and Darfur show that systematic breaches of the international humanitarian law and of human rights have occurred times and times again and – as in the case of Darfur – shamefully continue to persist. New incidents of mass atrocities continue to expose that political decision-makers in the United Nations, the European Union and the German government still all too often react in an insufficient manner.
Through active human rights lobbying, critical public outreach and scientific expertise, Genocide Alert contributes its part to support political decisions-makers from the national and international level in meeting their responsibility to prevent mass atrocity crimes faster and better. We want to sharpen the awareness in Germany that it is necessary to develop effective tools for the prevention and prosecution of mass atrocities.
Our work methods
We promote human rights and consult political decisions-makers in the German government, the German parliament and society. We affirm that Germany has to be actively involved in the implementation of the R2P. In cases of imminent or ongoing mass atrocity crimes, we advocate for a concerted and determined reaction by the international community. This includes military measures as a last resort.
We inform the public about past, present and looming mass atrocities. Society and politicians have to be convinced that Germany and the international community need to uphold the R2P more decisively. Therefore we bring our proposals and concepts regarding the prevention and ending of mass atrocities into the public debate via our website www.genocide-alert.de and inform society on the fundamentals, the challenges and the developments concerning the R2P via our online portal www.schutzverantwortung.de. Furthermore, we host panel discussions, workshops and seminars on a regular basis. Since January 2016 our Genocide Alert Monitor has become key to draw the attention of German political decisions-makers to situations of occcuring and looming mass atrocity crimes.
Through scientific consulting and expertise Genocide Alert also participates in the quest for ways of preventing and sanctioning mass atrocities. We support the networking between experts in politics and academia by offering a forum for specialized discussions in direct exchanges or public events. Our goal is to close the gap between German politics and the scientific community. We strive to make up-to-date analyses and insights on the protection of human rights accessible to the German government and the political parties.
Our partners
Genocide Alert has cooperated with a wide range of different actors in Germany, Europe and on the international level. We have conducted joint analyses and events with Human Rights Watch Germany, the „Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker“, the German Association for the United Nations, the City of Cologne, the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, amongst others.
Genocide Alert views itself as part of the international human rights lobby and is therefore member of the following coalitions:
- International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect
- Justice for Darfur Coalition
- International Campaign to End Genocide
- Coalition for the International Criminal Court
- International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict
- Every Casualty Campaign