If we can eradicate smallpox, put men on the moon and decipher the human genome, surely we can learn to stop killing each other

Stephen Smith

Aegis' co-founder Stephen Smith said: "During the 20th Century millions of people were systematically slaughtered just because they belonged to particular ethnic groups ... every time we say it must never happen again, but we are still no nearer to understanding when and why genocide will recur.

"Aegis is the first serious attempt to reduce the incidence of genocide by understanding the process and stopping it as quickly as possible."

Political shortcomings

But our diplomatic correpondent, Barnaby Mason, says many people would question whether lack of information is the basic problem.

Victims of Rwanda's genocide are still being unearthed

In the case of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, the UN Security Council knew very well what was going on during the weeks of fruitless debate.

There was an absence of political will to take sufficient measures to prevent the killing of as many as one million people.

Amongst academics there is still no agreed definition of exactly what constitutes genocide, a fact which has aided political inactivity.

High profile support

The Aegis project is relatively rare despite the fact that the UN has been urged for more than 15 years to set up such an initiative.

It has the backing of many distinguished academics and politicians.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is one of Aegis' patrons

Its patrons include two Nobel Peace Prize winners - South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.

It also has the support of Judge Richard Goldstone, former chief prosecutor at the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

The founders, brothers Stephen and James Smith, already run the Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre in Nottingham in the UK