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Dr Deborah Mayersen

Dr Deborah Mayersen

Senior Lecturer
UNSW Canberra
School of Humanities & Social Sciences

Deborah Mayersen is Senior Lecturer in International and Political Studies at the University of New South Wales Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy. Her research focuses on how genocides occur, the antecedents to genocide and genocide prevention. She is the author of Genocide Prevention: An Evidence-Based Approach (2026), On the Path to Genocide: Armenia and Rwanda Reexamined (2014) and several edited collections. She is the co-editor of Cambridge Elements in Genocide Studies. She regularly consults for NGOs in the field of atrocity prevention and has provided expert advice to multiple governments on atrocity prevention and response. 

 
Phone
+61 2 5114 5081
E-mail
d.mayersen@unsw.edu.au
Location
Building 28, Room 117
  • Books | 2026
    Mayersen D, 2026, Genocide Prevention: An Evidence-Based Approach, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
    Books | 2014
    Mayersen D, 2014, On the Path to Genocide: Armenia and Rwanda Reexamined., Berghahn Books, New York
  • Book Chapters | 2024
    Mayersen D, 2024, 'Genocide During the First World War', in The Routledge History of the First World War, Taylor & Francis, pp. 682 - 694, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003363439-60
    Book Chapters | 2023
    Mayersen D, 2023, 'Victims: The Victims of Genocide in the Modern World', in A Cultural History of Genocide in the Modern World Volume 6, pp. 91 - 113
    Book Chapters | 2022
    Mayersen D; McLoughlin S, 2022, 'The Absence of Genocide in the Presence of Risk: When Genocide Does Not Occur', in Genocide: Key Themes, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 75 - 99
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Mayersen D, 2021, 'Introduction', in Mayersen D (ed.), A Cultural History of Genocide in the Modern World, Bloomsbury, London
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Mayersen D, 2021, 'The quest for justice in the aftermath of the war', in Bartrop P (ed.), The Routledge History of the Second World War, Routledge, pp. 719 - 734, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780429455353-57
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Mayersen D, 2021, 'Victims', in Mayersen D (ed.), A Cultural History of Genocide in the Modern World, Bloomsbury, London
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Mayersen D, 2018, '3.3 Multiple Phases of Genocide', in Modern Genocide Analyzing the Controversies and Issues, pp. 41 - 43
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Mayersen D, 2018, 'Education for Prevention', in Totten S (ed.), Teaching About Genocide: Insights and Advice from Secondary Teachers and Professors, Rowman and Littlefield, Lanham, MD
    Book Chapters | 2017
    Mayersen D, 2017, 'Faith After Genocide', in Genocide Perspectives V: A Global Crime, Australian Voices, University of Technology, Sydney, pp. 192 - 206, http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/978-0-9945039-7-8.n
    Book Chapters | 2017
    Mayersen D, 2017, '“So the World May Know All”: The Importance of Education for Genocide Prevention', in Totten S (ed.), Last Lectures: The Prevention and Intervention of Genocide, Routledge, New York
    Book Chapters | 2016
    Mayersen D, 2016, 'Introduction', in Mayersen D (ed.), The United Nations and Genocide, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 1 - 31
    Book Chapters | 2016
    Mayersen D, 2016, 'United Nations Outreach Programmes and Genocide Prevention', in Mayersen D (ed.), The United Nations and Genocide, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 210 - 230
    Book Chapters | 2015
    Mayersen D, 2015, 'Deconstructing Risk and Developing Resilience: The Role of Inhibitory Factors in Genocide Prevention', in Reconstructing Atrocity Prevention, pp. 277 - 294
    Book Chapters | 2015
    Mayersen D, 2015, 'Rethinking Approaches to Prevention under the Responsibility to Protect: Agency and Empowerment within Vulnerable Populations', in Mass Atrocities, Risk and Resilience, Brill Academic Publishers, pp. 119 - 143, http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004299870_007
    Book Chapters | 2013
    Mayersen D, 2013, 'Introduction', in Mayersen D; Pohlman A (ed.), Genocide and Mass Atrocities in Asia: Legacies and Prevention, Routledge, New York
    Book Chapters | 2013
    Mayersen D, 2013, '“Never Again” or Again and Again: The Genocide Convention, the Responsibility to Protect and Mass Atrocity Prevention', in Mayersen D; Pohlman A (ed.), Genocide and Mass Atrocities in Asia: Legacies and Prevention, Routledge, New York
    Book Chapters | 2013
    McLoughlin S; Mayersen D, 2013, 'Reconsidering Root Causes: A New Framework for the Structural Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities', in Ingelaere B; Parmentier S; Segaert B; Haers J (ed.), Genocide, Risk and Resilience: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 49 - 67
    Book Chapters | 2007
    Mayersen D, 2007, 'Intermittent Intervention: Europe and the Precipitation of the Armenian Massacres of 1894-1896', in Koehne S; Mees B (ed.), Terror, War, Tradition: Studies in European History, Australian Humanities Press, Unley, SA, pp. 247 - 270
  • Edited Books | 2026
    Mayersen D, (ed.), 2026, The Role of the Military in Genocide Prevention and Response, Palgrave Macmillan, London
    Edited Books | 2021
    Mayersen D, (ed.), 2021, A Cultural History of Genocide in the Modern World, Bloomsbury, London
    Edited Books | 2016
    Mayersen D, (ed.), 2016, The United Nations and Genocide, Palgrave Macmillan, New York
    Edited Books | 2013
    Mayersen D; Pohlman A, (ed.), 2013, Genocide and Mass Atrocities in Asia: Legacies and Prevention, Routledge, New York
  • Journal articles | 2024
    Mayersen D, 2024, 'Promoting Resilience to Genocide: An Evidence-based Approach', Genocide Studies and Prevention, 18, pp. 112 - 129, http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.18.1.1947
    Journal articles | 2024
    Mayersen D, 2024, 'Saving Bulgarian Jewry from the Holocaust: The Role of National Identity', Ethnopolitics, 23, pp. 449 - 466, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17449057.2023.2216520
    Journal articles | 2023
    Mayersen D, 2023, 'Introduction', A Cultural History of Genocide in the Modern World Volume 6, pp. 1 - 23
    Journal articles | 2022
    Mayersen D, 2022, 'Armenian Resistance to the Hamidian Massacres', Genocide Studies and Prevention, 16, pp. 68 - 88, http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.16.2.1812
    Journal articles | 2021
    Engel S; Mayersen D; Pedersen D; Eidenfalk J, 2021, 'The Impact of Gender on International Relations Simulations', Journal of Political Science Education, 17, pp. 595 - 613, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2019.1694532
    Journal articles | 2021
    Mayersen D, 2021, 'Predicting Genocide and Mass Killing', Journal of Genocide Research, 23, pp. 81 - 104, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2020.1818478
    Journal articles | 2020
    Mayersen D, 2020, 'Is Help Coming? Communal Self-protection during Genocide', Stability, 9, http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/sta.740
    Journal articles | 2019
    Mayersen D; Dixon R; Lau S; Garner A; Burns P; Cameron A; Pascoe C; Szafraniec M, 2019, '“She Would Love That”: Identifying Community Needs in a Multisensory Environment', Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 13, pp. 39 - 49, http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/cpr.2019.0002
    Journal articles | 2018
    Mayersen D, 2018, 'Cockroaches, Cows and "Canines of the Hebrew Faith": Exploring Animal Imagery in Graphic Novels about Genocide', Genocide Studies and Prevention, 12, pp. 165 - 178
    Journal articles | 2018
    Mayersen D, 2018, 'Teaching Human Rights Online: An Open Access Approach', International Journal of Human Rights Education, 2
    Journal articles | 2018
    Mayersen D, 2018, 'The 1895-1896 Armenian Massacres in Harput: Eyewitness Accounts', Etudes Arméniennes Contemporaines, 10, pp. 161 - 183
    Journal articles | 2015
    Mayersen D, 2015, 'One Hundred Days of Horror: Portraying Genocide in Rwanda', Rethinking History, 19, pp. 357 - 369
    Journal articles | 2015
    Mayersen D, 2015, '‘Fraternity in Diversity’ or ‘Feudal Fanatics’? Representations of Ethnicity in Rwandan Presidential Rhetoric', Patterns of Prejudice, 49, pp. 249 - 270
    Journal articles | 2014
    Mayersen D, 2014, ''Once Upon a Time There was a Wonderful Country': Representations of History in Rwanda', Australasian Review of African Studies, 35, pp. 23 - 38
    Journal articles | 2014
    Mayersen D, 2014, 'Rethinking Approaches to Prevention under the Responsibility to Protect', Global Responsibility to Protect, 6, pp. 483 - 507
    Journal articles | 2013
    Mayersen D, 2013, 'Responding to Genocide: Mobilising Political Will in Australia', Australian Policy and History
    Journal articles | 2012
    Mayersen D, 2012, ''Deep Cleavages that Divide': The Origins and Development of Ethnic Violence in Rwanda', Critical Race and Whiteness Studies, 8
    Journal articles | 2011
    Mayersen D; Mcloughlin S, 2011, 'Risk and Resilience to Mass Atrocities in Africa: A Comparison of Rwanda and Botswana', Journal of Genocide Research, 13, pp. 247 - 269
    Journal articles | 2011
    Mayersen D, 2011, 'Current and Potential Capacity for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities within the United Nations System', Global Responsibility to Protect, 3, pp. 197 - 222
    Journal articles | 2010
    Mayersen D, 2010, 'On the Timing of Genocide', Genocide Studies and Prevention, 5, pp. 20 - 38
    Journal articles | 2001
    Mayersen D, 2001, 'Defining Genocide: Defining History', Eras Online Journal, 1
  • Reports | 2021
    Mayersen D; Conley B; de Waal A; Nyseth Brehm H, 2021, Tigrayan Civilians and Oromo Detainees in Areas Under Ethiopian Government Control, https://genocidescholars.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Conley-et-al_November.pdf
    Reports | 2021
    Mayersen D, 2021, Human-Induced Famine in Tigray: A Potential Act of Genocide, https://genocidescholars.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/IAGS_Mayersen_Nov21-1.pdf
    Reports | 2020
    Mayersen D, 2020, Communal Self-Protection during Genocide, https://genocidescholars.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/IAGS_Mayerson_Dec20.pdf
    Reports | 2018
    Mayersen D, 2018, Building Resilience to Genocide: Ten Practical Measures, Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliaton, New York, http://dx.doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/30598, https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/637ffc4c331dad74168d5c91/63ebe0f7de19ee6df35b7e3a_AIPR-Brief-Building-Resilience-to-Genocide.pdf

My Teaching

ZHSS3437 Politics of the USA

ZHSS3418 Complex Peacekeeping Operations

ZHSS2410 Modern Political Ideologies

ZHSS8412 International Peacekeeping Operations