iR2P

A sincere commitment goes a long way to reinforcing a sense of responsibility and increasing the likelihood of taking subsequent action. (Psychologists suggest that this is essentially because we prefer to be consistent, thus avoiding a sense of ‘cognitive dissonance’.)

Individual responsibility is highly relevant to the lofty goal of genocide prevention, because we need to reach a critical mass of people who understand it as a duty and a reflex in practice, not just a moral position. People who can help each other identify the answer to the question ‘What can I do?’

It is also related to the well-established and important legal principle of individual accountability (currently in the news - see previous posts), as well as the more obscure principle of individual ministerial accountability enshrined in many constitutions. Finally, it is consistent with a focus on the needs and concerns of people at risk, with whom we should talk if we wish to take up their cause.

I have signed the individual Responsibility to Protect (iR2P) pledge to express these beliefs and ideas, not as an end in itself but for what it may lead to.

(NB first posted at Change.org)