Contingent civilians

Abstract

Abstract This chapter explores theories of civilian action during mass violence that argue for the role of (1) civil society institutions, (2) governing authorities, and (3) external support in shaping civilian-led protective responses to mass atrocities. Through a combination of within- and cross-case comparisons of civilian responses to mass atrocities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sri Lanka, and South Sudan, we find that civilians exercise protective agency and undertake collective action even in contexts of severe group-selective violence. In some circumstances, the identity of the groups targeted increased their risks of violence; in others, these identities did not contribute to their risk of harm or aided civilians seeking avenues for collective action. The comparative analysis indicates inconsistent support for each of the three arguments concerning the effect of civilian action, pointing toward the importance of the political and social context in shaping the occurrence and outcomes of civilian protective agency to mitigate mass atrocities. The chapter concludes by addressing the conceptual and methodological challenges of studying civilian agency cross-nationally, which emerged in the context of our study’s unique collaboration between the Simon-Skjodt Center of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and three partner organizations based in the countries under study: the Congo Research Group, the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, and the Sudd Institute.