Nigeria’s frontline rights group, Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety) has been admitted into the International Alliance Against Genocide based in the United States of America. The Alliance Against Genocide is presently coordinated by the US-based Genocide Watch, founded by Dr Gregory Stanton, a Research Professor at George Mason University, United States.

Prof Gregory Stanton is a respected and seminal Research Professor in Genocide Studies and Prevention at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution of George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia, USA. He was also the James Farmer Professor in Human Rights at the University of Mary Washington, in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Dr. (Prof) Stanton founded Genocide Watch in 1999. He was the founder (1981) and director of the Cambodian Genocide Project, and is the founder (1999) and Chair of the Alliance Against Genocide, the world’s first anti-genocide coalition. From 2007 – 2009, he was the President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars.

The Genocide Watch, which coordinates the Alliance Against Genocide, exists to predict, prevent, stop, and punish genocide and other forms of mass murder. It also seeks to build an international movement to prevent and stop genocide. Founded in 1999, Genocide Watch was the first coalition of organisations focused completely on preventing genocide. The Alliance Against Genocide is made up of over 75 organisations around the world.

The decision to make Intersociety a member of the Alliance Against Genocide was recently conveyed to the Board Chair of Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, by Prof Gregory Stanton, who further described Intersociety’s research works bordering on ‘Killings in Nigeria’ and other grave rights abuses and violations as ‘seminal’.

“Intersociety is joining other over 75 organisations in the Alliance to secure the world from genocide and other grisly atrocities against innocent and defenseless members of the Humanity Family. Protection and justice for the victims are done irrespective of their religions, tribes, cultures, social classes and genders and ages,” Barr Ndidiamaka Bernard, Head, Int’l Justice & Human Rights of Intersociety, said today in a statement issued in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria.

Among the over 75 members of the Alliance across the world, Intersociety is the fourth group with Nigerian root. Other three are: Not In My Country (with Nigerian and Kenyan roots), the US Nigeria Law Group for Jos Project (with US and Nigerian roots) and Education Must Continue Initiative (with US and Nigerian roots).

“We remain deeply grateful to Dr (Prof) Gregory Stanton, a seminal professor at respected George Mason University,” Intersociety said. “We also thank the Nigerian and international media particularly the Print, Online and Audio-Visual for making it possible for our informed voice and biometric ink to be heard and read within and across borders. Deeply appreciated too are our friends, well wishers, supporters and followers.”