Across Continents: The importance of personal responsibility in atrocity crimes prevention

As Principal Deputy Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), I am honored to describe my observations of the first day of a 3-day “Listening and Leading” Genocide Conference held in Kigali, Rwanda.

(from left to right): Ms. Pheana Sopheak, Director of Mass Communications, Documentation Center of Cambodia. Ms. Farina So, Deputy Director of Documentation Center of Cambodia. Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide. Dr. Serge Brammertz, United Nations Under Secretary General; Chief Prosecutor, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. Mr. Peou Chhim, IT Specialist (Innovating History) of Documentation Center of Cambodia.Mr. Koch Gerald, United Nations Security and Safety Services Operations Officer.

The first day of the conference included opening remarks by sponsors, guests of honor, and distinguished guests, including Chair of the Board of Trustees, Aegis Trust; Swedish Ambassador to Rwanda; the United Nations’ Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide; Rwanda Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement; and UNESCO Assistant Director-General on Education, among others. In addition, former U.S. President, William J. Clinton, delivered pre-recorded video remarks.

Among the first day’s highlights, the conference marked the formal announcement of the establishment of the Isoko Peace Institute, which will serve as a regional and global hub for Rwanda. The day was also filled with sessions focusing on peace education and the importance of forgiveness.

There was a role-play on forgiveness, which was part of a panel-moderated discussion on the meaning and state of forgiveness, and the last session of the day centered on a panel of a dozen survivors telling their stories of forgiveness. The last session was particularly impactful as it included victims and perpetrators from the Rweru Reconciliation Village who shared their experiences during the genocide.

Discussion and forgiveness in the Rwandan context depend very much on concepts of leadership and religion, but above all, atrocity crimes prevention centers upon education, dialogue, and personal responsibility. Personal responsibility can be exercised in many ways, some of which were explored in the first day of the conference. For one, seeking and granting forgiveness are personal acts of the highest order as they can support healing, peace and transformation at the family, collective and national levels.

As explained during the conference, forgiveness can occur through routines that are simple as they are profound. One example given was having perpetrators ask for forgiveness by sending a letter of apology to the victim’s family.

The conference echoed the theme of personal responsibility that was pronounced by Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia who stated:

“We need to emphasize that the obligation to promote genocide education is the responsibility of all, not just the government. Today’s [Future of Cambodia Without Genocide] conference is a great example of good cooperation and solidarity between the various stakeholders. I would like to thank the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) for assisting the Royal Government in integrating the teaching of the history of genocide into professional and institutional development and in disseminating activities in national and international society, using history to reflect and inspire the future of Cambodia.”

Rwanda’s conference, like Cambodia’s recent May 20, 2024 genocide conference, is an effort at promoting personal as much as collective responsibility. Personal responsibility informs collective responsibility, which further informs our understanding of national and international obligations. Our work must always remain focused on the collective, national and international levels of responsibility, but we also must not forget that atrocity crimes prevention begins and ends with personal responsibility. Every individual has a role to play in atrocity crimes prevention, and sometimes the greatest obstacles to preventing atrocity crimes at the national and international levels can be overcome by an overwhelming exercise of determination at a personal level. The phrase “never again” is as much a personal as a national and international obligation.