The Role of Civilians in Preventing and Mitigating Mass Atrocities Summary of Key Findings from the Simon-Skjodt Center’s Research Initiative | July 21, 2020

Civilian communities are often presumed to be passive victims or bystanders when threatened by mass atrocities. New research from the Simon-Skjodt Center finds that civilian communities respond to threats of atrocities in many ways, even in the face of significant constraints. Civil society actors are more diverse and their roles are more complicated than is often acknowledged. A greater understanding of and interaction with local civilian communities is required to prevent mass atrocities.