A powerfully constructed engine driving global public awareness and advocacy lies at the heart of the Genocide Intervention Network. Hauser Center staff interviewed Mark Hanis, Founder and President of GI-NET to discuss structure, strategy, mission, and the measurement of progress in the organization’s fight to end genocide.

About the Genocide Intervention Network:

GI-NET’s founders believed that private contributions in support of peacekeepers in Darfur, Sudan, the site of the twenty-first century’s first genocide, could strengthen the protection of civilians and inspire policymakers to take action. With the help of endorsers, GI-NET established a landmark program which allows average Americans to have a direct impact on the ground where genocide is occurring, by helping to fund civilian protection projects. GI-NET has developed several unique projects in Darfur that improve the safety of women and girls in refugee camps in North Darfur, and is expanding the program to protect civilians in other mass atrocity zones, including Burma. In the long term, we believe empowering individuals to stand against genocide will build the political will necessary for the international community to recognize its responsibility to protect the victims of genocide and mass atrocities.

Rahim Kanani - Hauser Center: What are some of the key forces that mold or shape Genocide Intervention Network as it grows, and what is the organization’s strategy to stay relevant?

Mark Hanis - Genocide Intervention Network: Our mission and theory of change are the key forces that mold and shape our growth and include, building the first permanent anti-genocide constituency, serving and advocating in our areas of concern and creating structural change to abolish genocide. Five years ago when the organization was founded, the conflict in Darfur was at a different place. Over time, we have had to adapt our approach to stay in front of the critical issues that drive our work. What has remained consistent is that our approach is largely shaped by Samantha Power’s book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide; the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine and the Genocide Prevention Task Force (GPTF).

RK: What are the indicators of progress used by the Genocide Intervention Network to measure its own successes, and shortcomings, in its pursuit of international criminal justice?

MH: At Genocide Intervention Network we use various outcomes to measure success. We currently focus on halting violence and mass atrocities in our areas of concern, and not specifically on pursuing international justice. However, I want to emphasize that we focus our success measures on channeling the voices of the Darfuri people — pushing for accountability, for all major players, on both sides of this conflict. We also monitor which countries are cooperating with the ICC.

RK: How does an organization like the Genocide Intervention Network structure/position itself to, on the one hand, connect with local NGOs on the ground in areas of conflict, and on the other hand, conduct high-level diplomacy and advocacy?

MH: In terms of our approach to our work on the ground, we are in contact with local NGOs and IGOs on the ground. A good example of this is our Burma Early Warning Project. Together with our implanting partner in eastern Burma, GI-NET has developed a radio-based early warning system that enables civilians to receive and send vital warnings of impending attacks by the Burmese military on villages. This system greatly enhances the time civilians have to prepare and flee from the attack.  Our advocacy is focused on translating helpful policies into domestic advocacy — mostly grassroots. We have staff who do direct and grassroots lobbying. We also partner with other organizations who conduct high-level diplomacy and advocacy such as the Save Darfur Coalition, ENOUGH Project, International Crisis Group and Human Rights Watch to broaden our impact. Already, GI-NET’s efforts on Darfur have translated into revised thinking on the part of elected officials and policymakers about appropriate responses to genocide. Whether “grading” United States members of Congress on their voting records, or encouraging individual and institutional engagement with companies doing business in conflict zones, GI-NET’s national network has designed a comprehensive strategy that creates roles for citizens at all levels of engagement.