Preventing Genocide: Practical Steps and Effective Action

Event offered by:
The Foreign Policy Association

Event Details

Date:
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM 
Location:
Consulate General of Hungary
227 East 52nd Street
New York, NY
Event type
Lecture / Panel  

Event Transcripts and Video

Dr. David A. Hamburg, president emeritus of the Carnegie Corporation, discusses his new book, "Preventing Genocide: Practical Steps and Effective Action."

Using detailed case histories, Dr. Hamburg establishes a basic theme that clear warnings always appear before genocide erupts. From such evidence, Dr. Hamburg describes what would constitute effective “pillars of prevention”, and finally, considers what various established international, regional, and nongovernmental organizations and institutions can do to build and maintain these pillars. He focuses in particular on the United Nations and the European Union.

 

Event transcript

Event Speakers

    • David A. Hamburg

      David A. Hamburg is DeWitt Wallace Distinguished Scholar at Weill
      Cornell Medical College. He is president emeritus at Carnegie Corporation
      of New York, where he served as president from 1982 to 1997. A medical
      doctor, Hamburg has a long history of leadership in the research, medical,
      and psychiatric fields. He has been a professor at Stanford University and
      Harvard University, as well as President of the Institute of Medicine,
      National Academy of Sciences.

       


      He was a member of the United States Defense Policy Board with Secretary
      of Defense William Perry and co-chair with former Secretary of State Cyrus
      Vance of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict. The
      Commission published many books and monographs in its five-year life
      (1994-99), covering diplomatic, political, economic and military aspects of
      prevention. Distinguished scholars and practitioners contributed on a
      worldwide basis.

       


      He was a member of President Bill Clinton’s Committee of Advisors on
      Science and Technology. Most recently, Dr. Hamburg chaired two parallel
      committees at the United Nations and European Union on the prevention of
      genocide – one reporting directly to the UN Secretary-General and the other
      to Javier Solana.

       


      Dr. Hamburg also serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Preventive
      Action of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Advisory Council of
      Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies, the Harvard
      International Advisory Council and is Distinguished Presidential Adviser on
      International Affairs, National Academy of Sciences. He is the author of
      Today’s Children: Creating a Future for a Generation in Crisis (1992); No
      More Killing Fields (2002); and Learning to Live Together (2004). His
      current book, Preventing Genocide: Practical Steps toward Early Detection
      and Effective Action will be published in spring 2008.

       


      Dr. Hamburg received the Foreign Policy Association’s Medal, the Sarnat
      Mental Health Award of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of
      Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal (its
      highest award), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian award of the United States).

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