GENOCIDE: "Why Does 'Never Again' Happen Again?
The Soviet Joseph Stalin dictator justified the genocide he committed in and around World War II by saying, “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.” On the surface, this comment seems absolutely absurd; in reality he may well have accurately described how the world looks at genocide.
A child goes missing; is found dead; the country mourns and grieves. In Rwanda or Darfur, millions of people die and many can’t be bothered. Perhaps it is because we are separated by thousands of miles; perhaps because fewer journalists cover stories like this than previously; perhaps because producers of newscasts do not find this story to be significant enough to knock the story of the dancing elephant off the nightly log and instead inform us of the mass murders.
After the Holocaust in which six million Jews were killed, our mantra became “never again.” Either we are suffering from an early case of amnesia or “never again” was conditional. Does it matter who the people are who are being killed? Does it matter how distant the land is? Does it matter what super-power would be offended by intervention?
Since the Holocaust, there have been genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Armenia, Darfur, and numerous other areas. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1674 in 2006 “reaffirms provisions regarding the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.” However ten countries signed the accord only with the proviso that “no claim of genocide could be brought against them at the International Court of Justice without their consent. These countries included Bahrain, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, the United States, Vietnam, Yemen, and Yugoslavia.
So why does “Never Again” Seem to Happen So Often Again? High school students can apply to participate in the ActiveCitizen360 conference on Genocide. It will begin after school on Friday, February 19 and continue through Saturday, February 20. We will meet at the Maryland Heights Comfort Inn / Spazio’s conference center.
The post World War II “baby boom” generation has not succeeded in ending genocide. Do today’s students have a greater awareness of mass murder and do they show more concern about ending it? The issue defies simple answers and our discussion will require thoughtful analysis. Students who are interested in participating in the conference can begin research immediately and even propose initial ideas that we can post on the conference web site.
Is “Never Again” just an idle slogan, or can we make it happen?
When you submit your application we ask that you write a one paragraph essay which would contain the essential arguments that you would make as to why the United States or the United Nations should intervene to stop a genocide.