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Please join S-CAR in recognizing Douglas Irvin-Erickson's new book titled Raphaël Lemkin and the Concept of Genocide
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
6 pm to 8:30 pm
Metropolitan Building Room 5183
Keynote remarks by
Dr. Peter Phan
Ellacuria Chair & Distinguished Professor
Georgetown University
The world is witnessing the worst humanitarian crises since the Second World War, with genocide, atrocities, and mass killings continuing at unprecedented levels, and with the rise of a politics of hate and fear around the world. In the face of such human destructiveness and violent conflict, never has the work of Raphaël Lemkin been so important since he coined the word “genocide” in 1941, led a movement at the United Nations to outlaw the crime after the Holocaust, and revolutionized the way the world thought about conflict, violence, and peace.
Douglas Irvin-Erickson, an assistant professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and an expert scholar-practitioner in the field of atrocity prevention, will discuss his new book Raphaël Lemkin and the Concept of Genocide (University of Pennsylvania Press Studies in Human Rights, 2017). Irvin-Erickson will discuss the philosophical, political, and personal origins of Lemkin’s ideas on conflict and peace, and present a new account of the diplomatic history of the UN Genocide Convention. Having worked to try and de-escalate cycles of deadly violence and prevent genocide in over ten countries, and having worked with governments around the world on genocide education curricula, justice mechanisms, and national mechanisms for preventing atrocities, Irvin-Erickson will draw on his experience to showcase the continuing relevance of Lemkin’s ideas for our own time.