MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Chers amis et associés de la prévention des atrocités,
Dear friends and partners in the prevention of atrocities,
Cette année 2019 s’ouvre avec d’importants défis pour la communauté engagée dans la prévention des atrocités. Alors que la prévention demeure la seule approche durable et efficace pour éviter de terribles situations, qui entrainent d’immenses coûts humains, écologiques, sociaux et économiques, l’exercice de la prévention sur le terrain est encore trop largement méconnu, balbutiant et disparate.
La bonne nouvelle, c’est que de nombreux acteurs développent des initiatives locales et régionales très importantes, dont l’impact est considérable, en matière de prévention. Toutefois, ces initiatives ne sont souvent pas abordées dans une vision globale de prévention, ce qui diminue souvent leur impact.
Une des tâches que la communauté plurielle et diverse de la prévention des atrocités GAAMAC peut donc se donner en 2019, est de tisser les liens avec ce réseau multidisciplinaire, afin de recueillir leur savoir et leçons apprises. L’autre tâche est d’encourager chacun de ces acteurs à « mettre les lunettes de la prévention ou à penser prévention globale » pour améliorer leur impact sur le terrain et renforcer la communauté globale de prévention des atrocités.
This is an important challenge for each and all of us; we can decide to considerably improve our ways of working together towards our common goals during 2019.
For example, at the multilateral level, the international community certainly needs to overcome its differences. Strengthening the ownership and commitment of states and civil society directly involved in such efforts, as well as drawing the lessons learned from their struggles and successes, would undoubtedly have an important impact on the ongoing debates at the United Nations and other global and regional fora.
For example, numerous societies are dealing with their own legacy of atrocities; we can learn a lot from these processes in terms of prevention. For this to happen, it is important to give a voice to these actors - states and civil society - that can in turn help the international community to capitalize on their good practices and learn from concrete processes on the ground.
In some regions, such as in Europe, we must unite efforts against racism, hate speech and aggressive, populist and divisive discourses through strengthening the rule of law, legal frameworks, migration policies and the protection of minorities.
Furthermore, adopting an atrocity prevention lens to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals can help ensure that each goal develops its full prevention potential and makes a difference on the ground.
For 2019, I can only hope that GAAMAC, this extraordinary community of commitment, can make atrocity prevention a reality through these concrete efforts. We can do it because it is needed, and because together we can make a difference!
With my best wishes for 2019,
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