WHY DOES GENOCIDE STILL HAPPEN?

• 1. The United Nations passed the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the Crime of Genocide in 1948. When was it first enforced and in what context?


  • The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was first enforced in 1951 when Rafael Lemkin, the man who coined the term "genocide," used it to prosecute Nazi war criminals
• 1. How did the Cambodian genocide relate to the role of the American military in the Vietnam War?

  • The Cambodian genocide was related to the Vietnam War because the American military bombed Cambodia during the war, destabilizing the country and paving the way for the rise of the Khmer Rouge
• 1. How did the United States and China end up favoring the Khmer Rouge?

  • The United States and China supported the Khmer Rouge as a way to oppose the Cambodian government that was backed by Vietnam, which was considered an enemy during the Vietnam War
• 1. How do the United Nations Security Council's permanent members prevent decisive action to stop or mitigate genocides?

  • The permanent members of the UN Security Council prevent decisive action to stop genocides by using their veto power to block resolutions or actions that they don't agree with, prioritizing their own interests over humanitarian concerns
• 1. Sherry notes several reasons for the international community's failure to prevent or mitigate genocide, including the UN Security Council's veto structure, international indifference, and a reluctance to fund aid efforts. But what commonly cited excuse for inaction does Sherry flatly reject and why?


  • Sherry rejects the commonly cited excuse of "we didn't know" for inaction on genocide because, in many cases, world leaders did have detailed knowledge of atrocities but still failed to act effectively to prevent or mitigate them
• Samantha Power: 'Ongoing genocide is proof that the postwar system "is working"'
• Meaning of Samantha Power's assertion


  The system is operating as it was designed, with powerful countries prioritizing their own interests over humanitarian concerns
• Powerful countries use their influence

  To prevent meaningful action to stop genocides, allowing them to continue unchecked
• Sherry demonstrates how Samantha Power's assertion is true
• Causes of mass atrocities after 1900

  • Ethnic, religious, or racial tensions
  • Political instability
  • Authoritarian regimes
  • War and conflict
  • Propaganda and hate speech
  • Economic factors
• Ethnic, religious, or racial tensions


  Deep-seated animosities between different groups can escalate into violence, leading to atrocities
• Political instability


  Weak governance or power struggles can create conditions where atrocities are more likely to occur
• Authoritarian regimes


  Governments with unchecked power can perpetrate atrocities against their own citizens or minority groups
• War and conflict


  Atrocities are often committed during times of war, as part of military strategies or as acts of revenge
• Propaganda and hate speech

  Dehumanizing rhetoric can fuel hatred and justify violence against targeted groups
• Economic factors


  Economic disparities or competition for resources can contribute to tensions that lead to atrocities
• Consequences of mass atrocities after 1900

  • Loss of life
  • Trauma and psychological impact
  • Displacement
  • Breakdown of societal trust
  • International response
  • Reconciliation and justice
• Loss of life


  Atrocities result in the deaths of large numbers of people, often targeting civilians and vulnerable populations
• Trauma and psychological impact


  Survivors and communities are often left with deep psychological scars that can last for generations
• Displacement


  Atrocities force people to flee their homes, leading to refugee crises and long-term displacement
• Breakdown of societal trust


  Atrocities can shatter trust between different groups within a society, leading to lasting divisions and conflict
• International response


  Mass atrocities often prompt international intervention, including sanctions, peacekeeping missions, or trials for war criminals
• Reconciliation and justice


  After the atrocities, societies often struggle with how to achieve justice for the victims and how to reconcile with the past
• • The genocide in Cambodia happened because the U.S. bombed Cambodia during the Vietnam War, causing chaos. Then, the Khmer Rouge took over and started killing people
• • Other countries like the U.S. and China either helped or didn't stop genocides in places like Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur, and Myanmar
• • Genocides happen because of fights between different groups, unstable politics, old colonial problems, and powerful countries caring more about their own interests than helping people
• • Even though groups like the UN say something is genocide, they often don't do much to stop it. This means lots of people suffer and die because no one helps