...Essay Genocide Genocide was the term that came out after the Nazi’s Holocaust of World War Two, but it was not the first incident of Genocide, or the last. During the Genocide Convention that followed World War Two it was agreed amongst the world leaders that genocide would “never again” occur in the world. Time has shown that this might have been an empty promise however, and this essay will review the laws being implemented by the United Nations to help prevent genocide, arguments about why humans kill, incidents of genocide and how genocide is defined and, of course, the victims of the violent crime known as genocide. Genocide is now defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “[t]he deliberate and systematic extermination of an ethnic or national group”. The United Nations created a much broader and in depth definition in the Genocide Convention of 1948. They state that genocide is “…any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethnical or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or part; imposing measures to prevent births within the group; forcibly transferring children of the group to another group”. Despite some flaws and loopholes in this definition, it covers the atrocities that occur during genocide quite well. Genocide has occurred...
Words: 1454 - Pages: 6
...Jose Rivers Genocide Reflection First, what is a genocide? According to the Article II of the United States Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide is “any of the following acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculate to bring about its physical destruction in whole or on part; imposing measures intended to prevent birth within the group; forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.” In other words, genocide is when a group attempts to destroy or hurt mentally or physically a minority. The perfect example for a genocide is the Holocaust. Hitler and his followers wanted to get rid of “imperfect” people such as, Jews, homosexuals, Gypsies, disabled, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and anyone that he considered racially inferior. I believe in equality. We are all considered human beings and that massacre is against all morals. Hitler was just like any other human; he shouldn’t have had the power to decide who should live, or not. The Holocaust was a tragedy which we shall all remember around the world. Remember those innocent people killed by one person’s false belief. There are some situations going on now that the United Nations consider to be genocides. For example, the Darfur Genocide. This must stop...
Words: 281 - Pages: 2
...Genocide Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Introduction The term genocide refers to the mass murder of a specific race or tribe or group of people with the sole intention of eliminating the said group. As the world came to realize with the discrimination of Jews by the Nazi forces, genocide does not sit on the same bench as other crimes such as burglary. The spirited effort towards the elimination of a single race or tribe is the driving force of this heinous crime. It is said “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. At the centre of genocide, power and resources are usually the propagators of this vice. In a state in which the availability and distribution of resources is anything short of equal, negative ethnic traits such as tribalism, nepotism and even clanism, in other cases, can easily result in the onset of genocide. Greed is also a consistent feature of many genocide-stricken states. The more worrying issue, apart from the killing of millions of innocent civilians, is the prejudice with which many of the leaders of these factions plan and coordinate these atrocities. The notion that leaders are well above the law is characteristic of states that have felt the iron grip of genocide. The case of Darfur is one of the most disheartening. Darfur has been embroiled in the throes of genocide for the better part of the 21st Century. Having been the first genocide of the 21st Century, the mention of Darfur does not resonate well on the global landscape. Upon...
Words: 2199 - Pages: 9
...Final Paper Genocide Wade Harris HIS306: Twentieth-Century Europe Instructor: Fara Driver November 2nd, 2015 If anything could be described as a scar on the face of the twentieth century genocide would be that scar. Genocide is not the invention of those in the twentieth century, but rather the epitome, the refinement of a horrific act that the twentieth century has perfected. An act that has popular support and the backing of governments, so how can people who live side by side peacefully with others for so long suddenly flip and be able to kill their neighbors? Genocide is a series of choices, choices made by leaders to begin the killings, choices made by people to participate, and the choice to see something wrong and having the power to stop it, but choose not to. Many have written that it is deep seeded hatred passed on from generation to generation that always sits in the back of the minds of those committing genocide, things that may or may not have happened. Other scholars write that it is cultural differences that are ignored until a leader or group uses them for their own gain. (Churchill, R. P. 2014) Whatever the reasons, it is always the minority on the losing end, the bully mentality of a few whirling up hatred for someone else until everyone is in a frenzy and the rhetoric seems real, the threat conjured up is real, and the only action to keep things safe and secure is to remove the problem by any means. This is how genocide starts. But...
Words: 2605 - Pages: 11
...Genocide Foundations Name Institution Affiliation Date Genocide Foundations Introduction Over the years, genocide studies receive positive and negative influences from both the cultural and political contexts. The two contexts have extensively influenced the view of genocide. The major view of genocide is that it is a domestic occurrence of states. On a literal perspective, various authors have contributed to the subject of genocide. The assignment looks to extensively explore the foundations of genocide based on book reviews. The paper will provide an in-depth analysis and reviews of three books on genocide, What is Genocide by Martin Shaw, Centuries of Genocide by Totten and On the nature of genocidal intent by Campbell. Shaw, M. (2007). What is Genocide? Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN: 0745631827. Martin Shaw’s takes up the subject of defining genocide in all contexts. Through the book, What is Genocide, Shaw seeks to address two major issues related to genocide definition. • Unchanging definition of genocide • Reasons and need for changing definition of genocide Modern comprehension of the genocide ideology arises from a historical and contemporary viewpoint. It is evident over the years that the definition of genocide has undergone minimal change. In the book, the author offers key reasons for the unchanging definition of genocide while at the same time offering major reasons...
Words: 3101 - Pages: 13
...Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation. One of the most commonly referred to and widely known genocide is the Holocaust, but this is not the only genocide. There are many different genocides that have gone on throughout the course of history, all of which could have been prevented. One of these is a 21st century genocide going on in the Sudanese region to this day. This paper will describe the genocide in Darfur, compare it to the Holocaust and discuss not only how it can be ended but how future genocides can be prevented. 6 million citizens reside in Darfur is a region in western Sudan that was created in 1956 (“Darfur Genocide”). There has been distrust between...
Words: 1098 - Pages: 5
...still occurring today. Many of the minority tribes have been forced into refugee camps and left to starve and die. Many others have seen their houses and lives burned to ashes or they have watched family and friends being killed by the Sudanese military. Amnesty International USA has reported that so far, 400,000 men, women, and children have been killed and 2.6 million have been left without a home. So how much is too much? At what point will we stand up and stop this genocide? After 500,000 have lost their lives? 600.000? 700,000? Has the world not learned from the tragedies that happened in Rwanda just over a decade ago? There is debate over whether Darfur is considered Genocide or a civil war. This is a crucial question, as this will affect the way other countries will react to the situation. Another country does not want to choose sides in a civil war in fear that it will only magnify the situation. They do not want to make it seem like a invasion to reform the country. However in the case of genocide...
Words: 909 - Pages: 4
...Author/Editor Title Stanton, Gregory "The 8 Stages of H. Genocide" Title of Website Site Publisher Genocide Watch Genocide Watch Publication Date Medium Date Accessed Quoted Material 1998 Web 17 Jan 2016 DENIAL is the eighth The final stage of genocide, stage that always follows denial, is a coordinated a genocide. It is among effort by the perpetrators the surest indicators of to ensure that their is no further genocidal evidence or witness to their massacres. The crimes. perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies, try to cover up the evidence and intimidate the witnesses. They deny that they committed any crimes, and often blame what happened on the victims. They block investigations of the crimes, and continue to govern until driven from power by force, when they flee into exile. Summarized Material Paraphrased Material In the final stage of genocide, denial, the perpetrators bury or burn their victimes, cover up the evidence and silence the witnesses. There is denial and victim-blaming, as the perpetrators work to avoid investigation so they can either remain in power or go into hiding. Commentary / Notes Questions / Comments for teacher Topic Sub-topics --> stages final stage cover up investigation Author/Editor Title Title of Website Site Publisher Publication Date Medium Date Accessed Quoted Material Summarized Material ...
Words: 313 - Pages: 2
...Genocide To call something genocide is controversial because genocide is the deliberate killing off of a particular ethnic group or nation. Although the human race classifies the killing in Sudan a civil war. It actually should be classified as a genocide. The human race has classified killings in Darfur, Sudan as a civil war between the Arabic shepherds, and the African farmers. People believe it is a war over land, and whom should get the profit from the Sudan oil port. It all started because the “ Arabs from the north migrated down south because years of drought destroyed their northern fertile land.” Another reason people believe that the killings in Darfur are classified as a civil war because the islamic government...
Words: 391 - Pages: 2
...The Holocaust What is Genocide? Ushmm.org says genocide is a term used to describe violence against members of a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group with the intent to destroy the entire group. In 1944, a Polish-Jewish lawyer named Raphael Lemkin (1900-1959) sought to describe Nazi policies of systematic murder, including the destruction of the European Jews. He formed the word "genocide" by combining geno-, from the Greek word for race or tribe, with -cide, derived from the Latin word for killing. The Holocaust is one of many examples of genocide. On January 30th, 1933 according to ushmm.org, the Jewish population in Europe stood at nine million. Most Jews lived in the areas the Nazi’s would later occupy during World War II. In 1945, The Germans and collaborators had killed two of three...
Words: 754 - Pages: 4
...Dante Powell 1st Paper January 27, 2014 History 231 - Genocide Dr. Thomas Porter “What is Genocide?” The term genocide has been one of the most used terms in many on-going debates since the early 20th century. The Holocaust, which took place during World War II, is one of the most common cases of acts of genocide and is a main reason why the term genocide exists. Other widely known cases of genocide are the Rwandan genocide and the Armenian genocide. The question, however, that many historians and those with interests in genocide ask, is exactly what is genocide? Since first being “coined” by Raphael Lemkin, there have been several different definitions of the term. It is these different versions of a description of genocide that have led people to try to figure out what the correct form of the definition should be and how we can use it to try and prevent it from happening. When considering genocide and what it is, one must define it containing three aspects. A definition of genocide must have a mode, an object, and an actor. Initially, I would describe genocide as the intended mass killing of a specific group of people by another party for a desired result. However, there are problems with this definition. This definition is vague as it does not specify a type of reason behind the action being performed. If someone is to commit genocide, there must be a particular reason why an act as violent as this should be committed. Also, the definition does not say why the...
Words: 1634 - Pages: 7
...glorimar c The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda's Tutsis and Hutu political moderates by the Hutu dominated government under the Hutu Power ideology. Over the course of approximately 100 days, or more, from the assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana on April 6 through mid-July, at least 500,000 people were killed, according to the estimate of Human Rights Watch.[1] Other estimates of the death toll have ranged between 500,000 and 1,000,000,[2] (a commonly quoted figure is 800,000), or as much as 20% of the total population of the country. In 1990 the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel group, composed mostly of Tutsi refugees, invaded northern Rwanda from Uganda. The Rwandan Civil War, fought between the Hutu regime, with support from Francophone nations of Africa and France itself,[3][4] and the RPF, with support from Uganda, vastly increased the ethnic tensions in the country and led to the rise of Hutu Power. As an ideology, Hutu Power asserted that the Tutsi intended to enslave Hutus and thus must be resisted at all costs. Despite continuing ethnic strife, including the displacement of large numbers of Hutu in the north by the rebels and periodic localized extermination of Tutsi to the south, pressure on the government of Juvénal Habyarimana resulted in a cease-fire in 1993 and the preliminary implementation of the Arusha Accords. The assassination of Habyarimana in April 1994 was the proximate cause of the mass...
Words: 322 - Pages: 2
...many Rawandans, the genocide against the Tutsi became an integral and unforgettable part of their history. The slaughter of nearly a million people is usually associated with the medival times and one can only wonder how the Rawandan genocide could occur in our lifetime. Phillip Gourevitch’s essay “We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families” explores the mechanisms and motivation required for a mass genocide such as the Rawandan Genocide to occur in our lifetime. Taking the role of a journalist, Phillip Grouevitch brings the reader to ground zero of the genocide and brings awareness to the atrocities committed outside of our sheltered first world lives. Through the use of vivid imagery, objective approach, and...
Words: 534 - Pages: 3
...A Summary of the Rwandan Genocide Rwanda: A Brief History of the Country Rwanda’s population of more than 7 million people is divided into three ethnic groups: the Hutu (who made up roughly 85% of the population), the Tutsi (14%) and the Twa (1%). Prior to the colonial era, Tutsis generally occupied the higher strata in the social system and the Hutus the lower. However, social mobility was possible, a Hutu who acquired a large number of cattle or other wealth could be assimilated into the Tutsi group and impoverished Tutsi would be regarded as Hutu. A clan system also functioned, with the Tutsi clan known as the Nyinginya being the most powerful. Throughout the 1800s, the Nyingiya expanded their influence by conquest and by offering protection in return for tribute. Ethnic Conflict Begins The former colonial power, Germany, lost possession of Rwanda during the First World War and the territory was then placed under Belgian administration. In the late 1950’s during the great wave of decolonization, tensions increased in Rwanda. The Hutu political movement, which stood to gain from majority rule, was gaining momentum while segments of the Tutsi establishment resisted democratization and the loss of their acquired privileges. In November 1959, a violent incident sparked a Hutu uprising in which hundreds of Tutsi were killed and thousands displaced and forced to flee to neighboring countries. This marked the start of the so- called ‘Hutu Peasant Revolution’ or ‘social revolution’...
Words: 2186 - Pages: 9
...In early 2003, a horrific event started; genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Genocide is the intentional killing of a mass quantity of people, usually of people of a particular ethnic group. In the following, you will see how this gruesome act was put into action. Darfur, Sudan is located in northeast Africa. Surrounding Sudan is Egypt to the north, Ethiopia and Eritrea to the east, South Sudan to the south, and Chad to the west. The Sudanese government committed the genocide. The government orchestrated the genocide because they wanted to stop the rebel groups from their up rise against the government. In February of 2003 the Darfur Liberation Front (later the Sudan Liberation Army) attacked Gulu, the capital of the district of Jebel Marra. Their second attack was on April 25, 2003. In Darfur, Sudan, two rebellious groups, the Sudanese Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement, attacked the El Fasher airport....
Words: 683 - Pages: 3
