Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book begins with a powerful and insightful "Preface" by Major Brent Beardsley, a man who saw the 1994 Rwandan genocide up close. It provides an interesting take on the issue of the lack of political will in relation to the prevention and intervention of genocide. The book focuses on the ways in which denial is an obstacle to the prevention and/or intervention of genocide. It draws attention to new and broader interpretations of various terms and phrases that have come out of court cases, mainly at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, that have resulted in important legal precedents. The book discusses how genocide intervention is impeded by a lack of reliable data on genocide violence once the violence is underway.