Genocide: Inhumanity in Our World

1701 Words4 Pages

Genocide is one of the most evil moral crimes any ruling authority such as a government can commit against its people. A general definition of ‘Genocide’ is the intention to destroy or murder people because of their race, beliefs, or even political and economic status. Legal expert, Raphael Lemkin, created the term ‘Genocide’ 1944. Lemkin, a Polish Attorney, combined the ancient Greek word ‘genos’ which means race and the Latin word ‘cide’ which translates to killing. There are many examples of genocide in the world but the most recognizable is that of the Holocaust and how the German powers that be sought and attempted to kill all Jews. A recent example is the Rawandan Genocide in 1994 where the assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana caused a violent reaction resulting in mass killings. In efforts to reduce Genocide, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UHCG) was adopted by the United Nations in 1948 and was placed in force in 1951. On July 1, 2002 the International Criminal Court (ICC) came into force. The ICC not only accepted the UHCG’s definition of Genocide but expanded it to include crimes against humanity such as enslavement, deportation, torture, rape, enforced disappearance and apartheid. There have been many organizations created throughout the world to defend and prevent Genocide. Communities, Religions and even Colleges are forming organizations and these are just some examples of how this is a concern too many people. Humanity is coming together and realizing this is a serious issue that can not be ignored. Genocide may seem like a thing of the past but it is very much alive in the 21st Century and unfortunately it is still a vast issue in the world today.

Genocide refers t...

... middle of paper ...

... Retrieved from the web June 3, 2011.

http://globalpolicy.gmu.edu/genocide/

Rothenburg, Daniel (2011). Genocide. Retrieved from the Web June 6, 2011.

http://www.enotes.com/genocide-encyclopedia/genocide

Rummel, R.J. (2002). Genocide. Retrieved from the Web April 27, 2011.

http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/GENOCIDE.ENCY.HTM

Slovic, Paul (2007) Psychic numbing and genocide. Retrieved from the web June 3,

2011. http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~baron/journal/7303a/jdm7303a.htm

9/11 By The Numbers Retrieved from web June 1, 2011.

http://nymag.com/news/articles/wtc/1year/numbers.htm

9/11 Attacks. http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks

Introduction to the Definition of Genocide. (2011). Retrieved June 6, 2011 from

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007943

Show More
Related

  • Genocide Persuasive Essay

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    The word genocide was derived from the Greek root genos (people) and the Latin root cide (killing), and did not exist in the English language until 1944, which was the end of World War II (Power). According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, genocide is “the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group.” Such violence occurred during the Holocaust and during the separation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The problems of ethnic cleansing and repression have become so prevalent in the last century that they have contributed to two world wars, over fourteen million deaths, and a new word. United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said, “Far from being consigned to history, genocide and its ilk remain a serious threat. Not just vigilance but a willingness to act are as important today as ever.”

    Read More

  • The Holocaust and the Darfur-Sudan Genocide: Correlative and Distinctive

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Darfur-Sudan genocide and the Holocaust are just two of the many mass killings of certain groups of people that have taken place all over the world. The Holocaust was the persecution and extermination of Jews, Gypsies, handicapped people and homosexuals (Holocaust). The leader of the Holocaust and the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (the Nazis) was Adolf Hitler (Holocaust). He rose to power in Germany in 1933 (Holocaust). Ghettos and concentration camps were set up to isolate all who the Nazis did not qualify as “pure” (Holocaust). The Holocaust took place between1939 to 1945 (“Introduction”). The Darfur-Sudan Genocide began in 2003 and is still going on today (“Darfur Genocide”). A militia of government-supported people called the Janjaweed has been killing and destroying villages of non-Arab people (“Darfur Genocide”). Al-Bashir general of the National Islamic Front has been leading the persecution (“Darfur: A History” 18). The Holocaust and the Darfur-Sudan genocide are similar in that both their countries and leaders had the same economic status and mind set, however they are different in how the United States and other countries’ were involved and the type of war that was going on during them.

    Read More

  • Genocide Intervention: Global Responsibility or Financial Drain?

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    The biggest war the world has ever seen was World War II. What was one factor that led to such a quick escalation? Genocide. Over 45 million people were murdered during this tragic time. The question is: was it the allies responsibility to intervene? The answer: No. The Global Community has no responsibility to intervene in states committing genocide.

    Read More

  • The 8 Stages Of Genocide

    710 Words  | 2 Pages

    A total of 11 million people died during the Holocaust. The Holocaust was started by the Nazi’s in the 1930’s. It was were about six million Jews were killed. Misinformed individuals theorize that the Holocaust is not a form of genocide but they are misguided. The Holocaust should be considered an example of genocide based on the UN’s definition, the stages of genocide and the specific evidence provided in the memoir Night.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Rwanda Genocide

    1731 Words  | 4 Pages

    When a group feels as if their existence is threatened by another group, the only solution to their problem is the extermination of the opposing group. Genocide is also used to carry out systematic efforts in destroying enemies which will send out warning to other potential enemies. Acquiring economic wealth by destroying a group which stands in the way of that benefit is also another reason genocide is carried out. Finally, to create a “pure race” which means everyone practices the same way, follows the same culture, and the group who does not fit the guidelines, will be exterminated. The Center on Law and Globalization is a charitable organization which presents news about devastating problems in countries across the world. Its authors are reporters and journalist who experience firsthand the problems these countries are facing. In the article, Why Do Genocides Occur? Published by the Center on Law and Globalization, the conditions under which genocide usually occurs includes: when the victims are excluded, which means they have lost their citizenship and denied their rights, in crisis, when their government is in ruins, or in a dictatorial

    Read More

  • The Genocides of the 20th Century

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    The genocides of the 20th century which occurred in Rwanda and Germany had striking similarities, something that should have alerted the world to stop them. At the core of these two massacres, patterns existed that outlined how similar thinking and reasoning could lead to something as horrible as these two events. One can see how both groups used their command of knowledge as a way to control the people, how the rest of the world refused to step up to stop the killings, and how the people were thought of as less than humans to provide a just cause for such terrible acts.

    Read More

  • Holocaust And Holodomor Genocide Essay

    1593 Words  | 4 Pages

    Genocide is a huge problem in today’s society. While there are laws set down to handle cases where genocide occurs, the idea and premise of genocide and all that it entails is still widely debatable. It’s difficult to put a label and definition on a term that, while it has a long history of existence, is very rare and unknown to the common man. When I say rare, genocide only occurs in very extreme cases and situations, but it doesn’t make it any less of a horrible crime.

    Read More

  • Genocide and Modernity

    2057 Words  | 5 Pages

    The crime of genocide is one of the most devastating human tragedies throughout the history. And the word genocide refers to an organised destruction to a specific group of people who belongs to the same culture, ethnic, racial, religious, or national group often in a war situation. Similar to mass killing, where anyone who is related to the particular group regardless their age, gender and ethnic background becomes the killing targets, genocide involves in more depth towards destroying people’s identity and it usually consists a fine thorough plan prearranged in order to demolish the unwanted group due to political reasons mostly. While the term genocide had only been created recently in 1943 by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish legal scholar, from the ancient Greek word “genos” meaning race and the Latin word “cide” meaning killing , there are many examples of genocide like events that occurred before the twentieth century. And this new term brings up the question as whether genocide is a contemporary description defined through current perspectives towards the crime act or is it just a part of the inevitable human evolutionary progress caused by modernity.

    Read More

  • Genocide Research Memo

    1349 Words  | 3 Pages

    Genocide is a term that most people in the world have heard of in one way or another. People may have heard it through any film viewings, books, or any other media outlet, the point is, many people have heard of genocide in one way or another. Though genocide may be generally known by most people, a fraction of those people may only have an in-depth understanding of what genocide exactly is. With all of that said, for the research memo, the topic of genocide is going to the subject of the research memo. The beginning part of the paper will focus on the history and origins of genocide. Following the origins of genocide, theories will be discussed to explain why people participate in genocide and why genocide happens for that matter. After the

    Read More

  • Genocide In The Armenian Genocide

    1739 Words  | 4 Pages

    Abstract: The Armenian Genocide is a lesser known tragedy that involved the death of millions of individuals over the course of some odd years. And while these murders nearly wiped out an entire people, this holocaust has been disputed for plenty of years and denied extensively to the point where it is rarely known by individuals outside of the community of which share the same background. Yet while denied and excluded from the typical narrative discussing mass exterminations and genocide, Dr. Stanton’s 8 stages of genocide can be applied and studied alongside these tragic events. Following the timeline of treatment felt upon the Armenian population by the Turks, the stages; classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, extermination, and denial are found within this text .

    Read More

  • The Horrors of Genocide: Night, by Elie Wiesel

    1706 Words  | 4 Pages

    To start off with, what is genocide? Genocide is the killing of a massive number of people of in a group. Genocide has not only been practices in the present day, but it has been practiced for m...

    Read More

  • The Holocaust: Genocide And The Holocaust

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holocaust I've thought, and thought about resistance in the Holocaust and I've come to this comprehension: No phrase or verse or detailed explanation can illustrate the level of terror and oppression that took place. The Holocaust was probably the most arguably infamous series of despiteful human rights and cold blooded murder in modern history. The rise of the powerful Adolf Hitler has set his war against Jewish people, Jewish culture and Jewish memory. If the twisted philosophy of the Nazi regime was to eradicate Jewish memory, then it is our duty to remember the Jewish lives that perished and to keep Jewish memory alive. There was approximately six million Jews were sent to death camps and killed during World War II (1939-1945). So what do you think that led up to this? Why Adolf Hitler hatred towards Jews is so strong that made him did the inhuman cruel murder? Well the resolution lies in the ethnic undercurrents that ran beneath the peripheral of Germany and the world.

    Read More

  • genocide research project

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    When 1937 arrived, Japanese soldiers raided China’s capital of Nanking and began to mass murder citizens. A sole leader of the Japanese Imperial Army was non-existent. There were many of people in power such as generals who allowed these behaviors to occur. Baron Koki Hirota, Foreign minister at the time, proceeded to do nothing while being well aware of the Japanese’s persecution of the Chinese. These unsympathetic murders of those who were thought to be Chinese soldiers as well as woman, children and elderly. This massacre lasted between the 1937 and 1938. Within this time 300,000 Chinese citizens were viciously killed. This genocide is called Rape of Nanking because of raping the woman before killing them. Most likely this group was selected because the second world war happened in Asia. This was significant because a country was able to kill half the population of another. I believe the reason of this Genocide was for Japan to take advantage of China while expand Japan. Most likely the Japanese wished to exterminate China’s entire population.

    Read More

  • After the Holocaust, Vows of Never Again are Broken Again and Again

    756 Words  | 2 Pages

    Various schools of thought exist as to why genocide continues at this deplorable rate and what must be done in order to uphold our promise. There are those who believe it is inaction by the international community which allows for massacres and tragedies to occur - equating apathy or neutrality with complicity to evil. Although other nations may play a part in the solution to genocide, the absolute reliance on others is part of the problem. No one nation or group of nations can be given such a respo...

    Read More

  • The Effects of the Berlin Conference on Africa

    2036 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hymowitz, Sarah, and Amelia Parker. "Lessons - The Genocide Teaching Project - Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law." American University Washington College of Law. American UniversityWashington College of Law Center for Human Rights and Humanitaian Law, 2011. Web. 9 Mar. 2011. .

    Read More

More about Genocide: Inhumanity in Our World

Open Document