This essay poses the question, who is the subject of atrocities prevention? Borrowing a rhetorical and argumentative model from Jacques Ranciere’s work on the subject of human of rights, the essay explores the conceptual frameworks for the subjects of atrocities and queries their relevance to the specific context of prevention. The concepts that dominate work on mass atrocities were articulated in relation to atrocities that were underway or had concluded; they are a poor fit for prevention. New work on prevention, like that on ‘factors of restraint’ or resilience,’ suggest revisions to the concepts and cases that currently dominate study of mass atrocities. Crucial amongst these concepts that require adjustment are how we address the subject of atrocities prevention.
“Who is the Subject of Atrocities Prevention?” in Mass Atrocities, Risk and Resilience: Rethinking Prevention, edited by Stephen McLoughlin, Leiden: Brill Nijhoff, 2015.
