**The Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG) has been awarded the Jo Cox Memorial Grant to build stability in Africa’s Great Lakes Region through the prevention of identity-based violence.** Jo Cox dedicated her life’s work to building a fairer and happier world. She championed many vitally important causes, such as the prevention of mass atrocities and the protection of women’s rights. Following her election to public office in 2015, she used her visibility as a British Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen to promote and facilitate work in creating a world where everyone’s human rights are respected. Tragically, Jo Cox was murdered in 2016, just over one year into her term. She leaves behind a formidable legacy, having shown us all so many areas that are in need of so much urgent improvement as we work collectively towards a more peaceful global society. More than seventy years after the Holocaust, genocide and other mass atrocities remain a constant threat to global peace and security. The violence we are witnessing today in, for example, Syria, Sudan, Yemen and Myanmar, serves as a daily reminder of the devastating consequences of the international community’s failure to act. Recognizing the warning signs of mass atrocities and responding to them are essential steps in taking action to effectively prevent these crimes. The Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities – formerly known as the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation – is honored to announce that it has been awarded a Jo Cox Memorial Grant, one of the most prestigious grants for work on atrocity prevention. This grant originates from UK Aid Direct, the challenge fund of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for supporting the efforts of civil society organizations in achieving sustained poverty reduction. The resulting initiatives will be enabled by aid from the British government and will cover three years of programming for the prevention of mass atrocities in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, particularly focusing on the Central Africa Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Through this project, funded with UK aid from the British people, the Auschwitz Institute will continue its work to build stability in the Great Lakes Region by engaging local leaders and stakeholders in initiatives for the prevention of identity-based violence. While the effective prevention of these crimes is a long-term process, this support from the British government will enable AIPG to deliver key training to civil society leaders and government officials through the end of 2022. AIPG will conduct 12 distinct educational and capacity building activities, at both national and regional levels, to advance the establishment and expansion of national committees for mass atrocity prevention, as well as the further consolidation of existing national committees. These measures will lead to the development and implementation of regional and national policies, legal instruments, and community-level programs for the prevention of identity-based violence. They will be further reinforced through an ongoing online education program for local leaders. As a whole, the program activities will work to the benefit of states, communities, and many entities in between. These initiatives will create additional capacity to prevent the worst crimes experienced by humanity. The program, and all of its component activities, will be administered by the Auschwitz Institute’s Africa Programs Office in Kampala, Uganda. The Auschwitz Institute is pleased to receive this grant, which recognizes its work in the field of mass atrocity prevention, including its status as the largest non-governmental organization in the world with the primary objective of training public officials in genocide and mass atrocity prevention. Since 2007, AIPG has educated and provided ongoing support to over 5,200 officials from more than 85 countries. The Auschwitz Institute not only equips governments with the necessary tools to analyze risks for genocide and other mass atrocities, but also facilitates the design and implementation of effective policies and programs that mitigate these risks and prevent them from escalating. To accomplish this on a global scale, AIPG maintains regional offices in New York City, USA; Oświęcim, Poland; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Kampala, Uganda; and Bucharest, Romania. The Auschwitz Institute is humbled to accept this award and welcomes the tremendous opportunity to honor Jo Cox’s legacy by continuing her work in the field of mass atrocity prevention. AIPG is committed to making Jo Cox’s vision a reality through the creation of a world that prevents genocide and other mass atrocities. **About The Jo Cox Foundation:** The Jo Cox Foundation exists to build a positive legacy for the late Jo Cox MP. Its vision is a kinder, more compassionate society, where every individual has a sense of belonging and where we recognise that we have more in common than that which divides us. The Jo Cox Foundation inspires and galvanises positive change at a local, national and international level by partnering with visionary individuals and organisations who share Jo's commitment to the fairer, kinder world. The Foundation works locally to foster strong communities in the UK, nationally to build a better public life and internationally to stand up for vulnerable people around the world. To find out more, visit: [www.jocoxfoundation.org](http://www.jocoxfoundation.org). **About UK Aid Direct and the Jo Cox Memorial Grants:** On Tuesday, March 6, 2018, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) paid tribute to MP Jo Cox and announced a new £10 million funding opportunity in her memory, the Jo Cox Memorial Grants. The grants are funded by UK Aid Direct; a challenge fund designed to support small to medium sized, national and international civil society organisations (CSOs) to reduce poverty and work towards achieving the Global Goals. These grants are awarded to projects working across two themes that Jo Cox was passionate about: supporting and improving women’s social, economic and political empowerment; and strengthening civil society capacity for the early prediction of identity-based violence and conflict prevention. For more information, please visit: [www.ukaiddirect.org](http://www.ukaiddirect.org).
