October 13, 2020
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide (SCPG) seeks applications for a fellowship to assess risks of mass atrocities in Indonesia.
The Early Warning Fellow will work with the SCPG research director, staff, and collaborators to define priority research questions, plan associated research activities focused on analyzing plausible mass atrocity scenarios, conduct original research, and present results to policy makers and other interested audiences.
Focus Country: Indonesia
Indonesia has ranked 32nd, 37th, 39th, and 32nd in the last four years of our annual Statistical Risk Assessment for mass killing. We consider there to have been multiple episodes of mass atrocities in Indonesia since the end of World War II. Each of the seven major islands has its own conflict dynamics, including elements of secessionism and violent extremism. The Fellow would have to select a few high-risk areas of focus for the project.
Background
The SCPG is dedicated to stimulating timely global action to prevent genocide and mass atrocities and to catalyze an international response when they occur. Our goal is to make the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities a core foreign policy priority for leaders around the world through a multipronged program of research, education, and public outreach. We work to equip decision makers, starting with officials in the United States but also extending to other governments, with the knowledge, tools, and institutional support required to prevent—or, if necessary, halt—genocide, mass atrocities, and related crimes against humanity.
In partnership with Dartmouth College, the SCPG created the Early Warning Project, the first system of its kind to combine state-of-the-art methods to produce risk assessments of the potential for mass atrocities around the world. The first part of the system uses statistical forecasts to assess which countries are most at risk for a new onset of state-led mass killing. The second part of the system leverages wisdom-of-the-crowds methods to assess the state of risk in specific places, making it possible to track changes in risk during the interval between quantitative assessments. The third element of the project is a series of deep, qualitative early warning assessments on selected countries, conducted by SCPG staff in partnership with country experts.
Definitions
- Mass atrocities, or atrocity crimes, are large-scale, systematic violence against civilians. They include genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes.
- A mass killing occurs when the deliberate actions of armed groups in a country (including but not limited to state security forces, rebel armies, and other militias) result in the deaths of at least 1,000 noncombatant civilians in that country over a period of one year or less. The civilians must also have been targeted for being part of a specific group (see our Definitions page).
About Our Early Warning Assessments
- Since 2016, we have completed early warning reports on Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Mali, and Côte d’Ivoire.
- The goals of these in-depth assessments are to spotlight specific potential “worst-case scenarios,” raise attention to countries that may be at-risk, illustrate the kind of country-specific analysis that should inform policy, and encourage policymakers to take preventive action.
- Our in-depth assessments have been guided by the State Department/USAID Atrocity Assessment Framework and focused on describing plausible mass atrocity scenarios in the subsequent 1-2 years.
- Our research model to date has been for SCPG staff to work with an Early Warning Fellow (country expert) to conduct field research, co-author a written report, and brief relevant policy audiences on key findings and recommendations. We are open to the Fellow proposing other original research methods if traditional field research is not feasible.
Fellowship Description and Project Scope
The Fellowship is intended to provide Early Warning Project audiences with a deep-dive into dynamics in a country by describing scenarios that could lead to mass atrocities in the next 1-2 years.
The Early Warning Fellow will work with members of the SCPG Research Team to facilitate and co-lead research, co-draft a public report on risks of mass atrocities and potential preventive actions, and participate in policy outreach on the results of the research. The Fellow should draw on data and analysis from the Early Warning Project to inform and guide their work and use the US State Department-USAID Atrocity Assessment Framework, as well as other materials suggested by SCPG staff.
On a case-by-case basis, Fellows might be asked to advise or assist SCPG staff on follow-on projects that would benefit from their input. This would be done by mutual agreement between the staff and the Partner.
We may also consider partnering with an organization rather than an individual.
Terms of Fellowship
- Timeline: Most fellowships run approximately 6-9 months in total. The Fellow will be expected to keep in frequent contact with the SCPG Research Team during the term of the Fellowship. A full timeline will be agreed upon before the project begins.
- Deliverable: The Fellow will work with SCPG staff to draft a paper based on the research that is ~7,500 words in length.
- Budget: The Fellow will be paid a total amount of $15,000, which is intended to offset the Fellow’s expenses, research, and administrative costs associated with the Fellowship.
Selection Criteria
- PhD or seven years of experience;
- Demonstrated expertise related to politics, conflict, and/or human rights in Indonesia;
- Knowledge of and prior research in atrocity prevention, conflict and/or human rights;
- The applicant’s professional achievements and promise;
- The applicant’s ability to conduct the proposed research and complete the project, and to present information in a clear manner to a variety of audiences.
To apply, please submit the following
- A cover letter, 1-2 pages long, presenting your qualifications to conduct the necessary research, outlining the research you propose to conduct, the strategies you will employ to overcome research challenges, and how you anticipate that research will benefit decision-makers focused on preventing mass atrocities in that country;
- CV and contact information for three references.
- The US Holocaust Memorial Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) that embraces a diverse and inclusive workplace. Applications from all qualified individuals will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status.
Deadline
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We expect to review the first batch of applications beginning November 16.
Please email materials to ewp@ushmm.org.
For further information, we can be contacted at ewp@ushmm.org.
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