Responsibility to Protect ─ Cultural Perspectives in the Global South

This volume explores in a novel and challenging way the emerging norm of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), initially adopted by the United Nations World Summit in 2005 following significant debate throughout the preceding decade.

This work seeks to uncover whether this norm and its founding values have resonance and grounding within diverse cultures and within the experiences of societies that have directly been torn apart by mass atrocity crimes. The contributors to this collection analyze the responsibility to protect through multiple disciplines—philosophy, religion and spirituality, anthropology, and aesthetics in addition to international relations and law—to explore what light alternative perspectives outside of political science and international relations shed upon this emerging norm.
In each case, the disciplinary analysis emanates from the global South and from scholars located within countries that experienced violent political upheaval. Hence, they draw upon not only theory but also the first-hand experience with conscience-shocking crimes. Their retrospective and prospective analyses could and should help shape the future implementation of R2P in accordance with insights from vastly different contexts.

Offering a cutting edge contribution to thinking in the area, this is essential reading for all those with an interest in humanitarian intervention, peace and conflict studies, critical security studies and peacebuilding.

Rama Mani is the former Executive Director of The International Centre for Ethnic Studies in Colombo. She is currently a Senior Research Associate of the Centre for International Studies at the University of Oxford and a councilor of the World Future Council, Hamburg.

Thomas G. Weiss is Presidential Professor of Political Science at The CUNY Graduate Center and Director of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies.

Introduction: Reframing Responsibility—Revisiting Politics and Place Rama Mani and Thomas G. Weiss Part 1: Reflections in Practices, Cultures and Traditions 1. Religion and Spirituality: "It Takes a Village to Protect a Child," Spirituality and R2P Mutombo Nkulu-NSengha 2. Philosophy and Ethics: Ethical Concepts, Values, and Strategies Relevant to R2P Yolanda Angulo Parra 3. Aesthetics and Arts: Artistic and Literary Creation in the Embers of Genocide Koulsy Lamko and Rama Mani Part 2: Country Cases 4. Rwanda: A Cultural Struggle to Bury the Demons of Genocide Paul Rutyasire and Jean-Marie Kayishema 5. Kosovo: Un/welcomed Guests, NATO Intervention in Kosova Nita Luci 6. Nepal: Atrocities Prevented? R2P, Culture, and Civic Resilience Arjun Karki, Jyoti Upadhyay, and Prerna Bomzan. Conclusion: Listening, Learning, and Reshaping R2P from the Inside Out Rama Mani and Thomas G. Weiss