It is defined as a mass extermination of a particular group of people - exemplified by the efforts of the Nazis to eradicate the Jewish population in the s. But behind that simple definition is a complicated tangle of legal concepts concerning what constitutes genocide and when the term can be applied.
The term genocide was coined in by the Jewish-Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin, who combined the Greek word "genos" race or tribe with the Latin word "cide" to kill. After witnessing the horrors of the Holocaust, in which every member of his family except his brother was killed, Dr Lemkin campaigned to have genocide recognised as a crime under international law. His efforts gave way to the adoption of the United Nations Genocide Convention in December , which came into effect in January Article Two of the convention defines genocide as "any of the following acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such":.
The convention also imposes a general duty on states that are signatories to "prevent and to punish" genocide. Since its adoption, the UN treaty has come under criticism from different sides, mostly by people frustrated with the difficulty of applying it to specific cases. Some have argued that the definition is too narrow; others that it is devalued by overuse. Some analysts say the definition of genocide is so narrow that none of the mass killings perpetrated since the treaty's adoption would fall under it.
The objections most frequently raised against the treaty include:. But in spite of these criticisms, there are many who say genocide is recognisable. In his book Rwanda and Genocide in the 20th Century, the former secretary-general of Medecins Sans Frontieres MSF , Alain Destexhe, wrote: "Genocide is distinguishable from all other crimes by the motivation behind it.
Genocide is therefore both the gravest and greatest of the crimes against humanity. What is Genocide? Key Videos Podcasts and Audio.
Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial What is Antisemitism? Holocaust Denial and Distortion Teaching about Antisemitism. View Next Explore countries that are currently or have been areas of focus for the Simon-Skjodt Center. War is an exceptionally difficult life condition during which innocent groups can be seen as threats; grievances towards that group are in rare occasions handled through genocide Campbell The second difficult life condition Staub refers to is one of economic crisis.
As with war, during times of a recession, people are inclined to find someone to blame for their misfortune Hamburg Local leaders have learned that these feelings can be easily manipulated for their own goals, which may be the elimination of an unwanted minority Hamburg Victims are often portrayed as wealthy and as willing to take advantage of other groups, which justifies killing that group Hamburg The party blamed Jews for the crisis, which appealed to the general public, who were in want of a scapegoat for their condition Foster Similarly, Tutsi in Rwanda were accused of bringing about the economic crisis in the s, a crisis that had been brought about by plummeting coffee prices, in order for power and dominance to be restored Hintjens During times of an economic crisis people look for someone to blame.
Turning towards a wealthy minority such as the Jews in Germany or the Tutsi in Rwanda is simple. If this is coupled with the local leaders who seek to exploit such grievances, it can lead to genocide.
It has been shown that people are likely to build an out-group during times of hardship. However, a further important factor is the need to belong to an in-group during difficult times such as war or recession. Being part of something larger is, therefore, provided through belonging to a group. The feeling of belonging is intensified through doing something extreme like the killing of people.
Whole communities experience a form of ecstasy while partaking in the killing of others Stone The construction of out-groups and in-groups is important for people during difficult times.
The chances of genocide occurring against an out-group that is perceived as standing between society and utopia is more likely during times of hardship, such as those of war and economic crises. Humans feel the need to blame an out-group and eliminate that threat to society. Being part of a genocidal squad may give them the desired feeling of security during those times of instability.
It is therefore imperative to monitor situations in countries, especially those where grievances against an out-group already exist, and to step in as soon as the country experiences changes in welfare. Genocide is not inevitable and the international community should never again fail to prevent it. Balakian, Peter. The Sydney Papers : Bartrop, Paul. Article II of the Genocide Convention contains a narrow definition of the crime of genocide, which includes two main elements:.
The intent is the most difficult element to determine. To constitute genocide, there must be a proven intent on the part of perpetrators to physically destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. Cultural destruction does not suffice, nor does an intention to simply disperse a group.
It is this special intent, or dolus specialis , that makes the crime of genocide so unique. In addition, case law has associated intent with the existence of a State or organizational plan or policy, even if the definition of genocide in international law does not include that element.
0コメント