Efforts to ensure the protection of populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity are not new. Yet despite this long history and the endorsement of new norms such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), atrocity prevention has not always been consistently implemented and populations continue to suffer from atrocity crimes in various parts of the world. This course seeks a deep understanding of atrocity prevention, critically examining questions about the history, ethics, law, and politics of protection and studying key cases of the threat or perpetration of mass atrocities from the last century. It reaches beyond well-known debates about military intervention to grapple with the complexities of non-coercive as well as coercive means of protecting populations.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Develop a critical understanding of the historical antecedents of atrocity prevention and its rapid development in recent years
- Critically evaluate the contemporary ethics, law, and politics associated with atrocity prevention
- Gain a stronger understanding of the different pathways - and challenges associated - to implement atrocity prevention
- Understand the future directions of atrocity in a changing world
- Develop skills in writing and speaking to different audiences on the politics, law, and ethics of efforts to prevent mass atrocities
Other Information
The course is conducted through seminars with an emphasis on interactive teaching aimed at engaging all students in active participation.
Indicative Assessment
- Please note that this assessment is indicative only. The actual assessment for the course is provided in the Class Summary prior to the commencement of the semester in which the course is being conducted and may differ from this assessment. (null) [LO null]
- Presentation of a reading (5) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Research essay (25) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Policy recommendation (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Exam (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Participation (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Approximately 130 hours comprising seminars as well as associated preparation, independent study, and assessment time.
Please note this is a general guide, averaged over the semester and the final hours ultimately depend on the individual's ability in reading and writing.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Prescribed Texts
To be advised.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4440 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $6360 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8406 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |
