Violence Ch. 11 Genocide

Victims of Genocide

- Are killed for what they are defined as, not for what they have done - Victim groups are often selected for extermination b/c they fall into a stigmatized social category

What are some other reasons bystanders don't do anything about Genocide?

- Believe what the government tells them - Most ppl believe nothing can be done - Some believe that the targeted group is a real threat - The international community often acts a bystander too ("if we intervene, war will happen")

United Nations definition of Genocide (B)

Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group

More people killed through genocide or war?

Genocide

How can Genocide happen?

It cannot take place unless the vast majority of a population allows it to happen

United Nations definition of Genocide (A)

Killing members of the group

Why does Genocide happen?

Strategic and goal directed killings based on distorted logic driven by fear, hatred, prejudices

Developmental Genocides

Targeted groups are seen as impediment to the colonization and/or exploitation of a given geographic area (most often against indigenous ppl) - ex. americans against native american

United Nations definition of Genocide

Any of the following acts committed with intend to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group

Types of Genocide

1. Developmental Genocides 2. Despotic Genocides 3. Idealogical Genocide 4. Retributive Genocide

In 1995, there were approx. how many refugees worldwide?

27 million (1 out of every 280 ppl on earth)

Despotic Genocide

A government uses genocide against rivals for political power. Most often found in revolutionary situations where a new group is attempting to eliminate any opposition to its power - So a new power has already taken over, but they are getting rid of the old group

Why don't bystanders do anything about Genocide? (eg. trying to stop it)

All genocides depend on the active participation of a few and the passivity of the majority

Prominent examples of Genocide

American Indians Holocaust Khmer Rouge Rwanda Darfur region of Sudan Syria

United Nations definition of Genocide (C)

Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to being about its physical destruction in whole or part (eg. sendings american indian children to boarding schools designed to reprogram)

Ideological Genocide

Destruction of a population because of a belief system. At some level, all genocides are ideological

During the 20th century, genocide killed how many more times as many people as war?

Genocide killed almost 4x as many people as war

United Nations definition of Genocide (D)

Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group (eg. sterilization)

Genocide is often accompanied by....?

Refugees

What is the most common type of Genocide in the second half of the 20th century?

Retributive Genocide

Retributive Genocide

They are perpetrated by one group against another engaged against another to obtain political and social powder. (eg. Rwanda) (In contrast a despotic genocide in which the power has already been taken and the enemies are often imaginary)