16 minute read
Days
28 Genocide Denial
Genocides continue even after the terrible killing ends. Professor Gregory Stanton’s last stage of Genocide was denial. left untouched the last stage of denial grows and can twist history, especially in the age of the internet.
Early stage denial:
Denial starts as soon as the genocide starts: the perpetrators are motivated by self-protection, political agenda, monetary gain and to aid the development of the genocide. For instance, in the ongoing genocide against the Rohingya people, government officials vehemently denied their crimes to allow for them to continue without intervention-there by protecting themselves from foreign military prevention. This instantaneous denial is seen in most genocides-and attempt to slow intervention and set up further denial so prosecution is harder or impossible later on. Building the propaganda to justify or outright deny any crime is one method of denial that can prevent justice for the victims and allow the murderers to be free.
Late stage denial:
After allied forces successfully defeated the Nazi regime in 1945 many perpetrators denied knowledge of ‘the Final Solution’ even though there all the evidence pointed to the contrary. This denial was for preservation, to protect themselves from prosecution. After a genocide is linked to a certain political group or ideal - those with the same political affiliation will try to deny it’s connections or the genocide itself to aid their political agenda. An example of this is the government officials of Republika Srpska who have repeatedly blocked laws preventing denial of the 1995 genocide so that their similar political agenda can remain unharmed. Even a mayor of Srebrenica, Mladen Grujičić, denied that the genocide took place. This exploitation of people who have fallen prey to years of propaganda or have been scared into self-protection is another horror of genocide that aids mass murderers and prevents justice for victims
Denial today:
With the communication available today it is far easier for fake news to reach millions of people internationally, however it also enables the truth to perpetuate. The internet has aided hate speech against the Rohingya to spread and Many misleading sources not representing the true nature of the violence and algorithms making it even more difficult to learn the truth. Denial of the Holocaust has multiplied online. However it has also allowed the truth of other genocides to reach millions. The internment and sterilisation of Uyghurs in China has been revealed and spread throughout multiple sources forcing corporations and governments to take action with growing public awareness and concern. The growth in technology especially in countries that are directly affected by genocide is another area that must be managed to see the true effects and whether or not they can be use to prevent genocide through awareness not perpetuate it through propaganda. ‘Unremembered Days’ is a book recently written by ninety young people from ten different schools. It contains the true stories of tragically unforgettable but unremembered days. Forewords for the book have been written by Philippe Sands, the author of acclaimed ‘East West Street’, Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor of Channel 4 News and Lord Nick Bourne.
A message of support from Luke de Pulford, Director, Arise Foundation
“Every generation since the Genocide Convention has failed to honour its promises. Some of us tried. But we must be honest and admit our failures. We have failed. Failed to treat “never again” - a phrase hallowed by the blood of millions - with the respect it deserves. Who will be the generation to say “never again” and mean it? Will it be yours? I hope so. Because all that is required to make “never again” a reality is political will, and a change of heart. You have the potential to be that changed heart, and to beat relentlessly for human dignity Countless millions who will face atrocities in the future are depending on you. You carry their hope, and mine. Godspeed. You will not find a more important cause.”
29 Everyday Peace?
So what can we all do to prevent genocide? As young people in secondary school we can ask our government to take decisive action to prevent genocide through various forms of intervention. However, successfully persuading those in power to act is a slow and frustrating path. History shows us that the times of action and intervention by our leaders is vastly outweighed by instances of inaction. Is there anything else that we can do? We were intrigued to find out about the work of Professor Roger Mac Ginty and his colleagues in the Everyday Peace Indicators Project. The initiative focuses on the idea that individuals or groups of people can ‘stand up’ and ‘disrupt’ patterns of persecution and violence. We asked Professor Mac Ginty a few questions about the initiative.
Why is the Everyday Peace Indicators project needed?
There are a lot of societies around the world where people (often minority identity groups) are under pressure. Whether the Shia in Bahrain, the Xighur in China, or migrants in Italy, they are often the target of those who hold power. Governments, political parties, media organisations and others can often be very skilful in whipping up stories that that paint minority groups as being a threat. The danger is that those stories take over and people believe them and thus it becomes easy to demonise outsiders and minorities. It takes bravery for individuals or groups of individuals to stand up and "disrupt" and defend minorities and outsiders.
What do you think are the best examples of ordinary people disrupting violent conflict?
There are lots of examples of this. They often involve very brave individuals who take a stand. So we could think of the White Rose movement and its opposition to the Nazis, or Dutch resistance members in WWII who risked their lives to hide Jews and smuggle them out of the country. These "ordinary" people were actually extraordinary. But I think the best examples come from within families, whereby mums and dads, or stern aunties, or big sisters play a role in counselling other family members against being radicalised or joining militant groups or gangs. A great example to read up on is "the railway man" - a WWII British soldier who later met and befriended his Japanese torturer (or you could watch the movie). It is a story of immense bravery that turns the usual approach of revenge and bitterness on its head.
How best can our government support those ‘ordinary’ people who disrupt violence around the world?
The UK government - through the aid budget - does a lot in supporting pro-peace civil society groups overseas. But sometimes it is very difficult for the UK (and other outside governments) to help people in conflict-affected countries. For example, if the UK government was to directly support antigovernment individuals or groups in Myanmar then those groups or individuals might become targeted by the government. The best way to support 'ordinary people" in conflictaffected areas is through supporting schools. Often when people are educated then opportunities open up for them (jobs, travel, further education) and becoming engaged in conflict becomes less attractive. So a strong aid budget directed at education is probably the best way for the UK government to help conflict-affected countries.
Is there any way that young people in our country can help the concept of ‘Everyday Peace’ grow and take hold?
Everyday peace is on display in the world around us: in our homes, on the journey to school, in the town centre on a Saturday afternoon. People in general are civil and mannerly. Generally, we say please and thank you and hold a door open for an elderly person. Why do we do that? It is because we are sending out a signal about the sort of society we want to live in: one where other people say please and thank you to us, or hold the door open for us. So the best way to promote everyday peace is through the micro-actions of our everyday lives. These can be very micro indeed - like avoiding people we might regard as "troublemakers" or people who might use racist terms. It can be a little more expansive, like reaching out to those who might feel excluded - like migrants or those who identify differently.
30 Preventing Genocide
Benedict Rogers, Co-founder and Chief Executive, Hong Kong Watch When I heard that pupils at Hampton School are planning a ‘Genocide Prevention Week’, I was inspired and delighted. I want to congratulate you on this initiative and express my support. Genocide is the crime of crimes. It is a specific, defined legal term that should never be used lightly. Raphael Lemkin coined the phrase and campaigned for the introduction of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Genocide does not necessarily mean mass killing, though that can be a component of it. And it does not mean the total elimination of a group. It can include “causing serious bodily or mental harm,” “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part”; imposing measures intended to prevent births; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. Crucially, it entails the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”. To prove genocide, you have to prove intent, though intent can, of course, be inferred. After the Armenian Genocide of 1915-17 and the Holocaust in the 1940s, the world witnessed genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia, and many would argue that currently genocide is being perpetrated against the Rohingyas in Myanmar and the Uyghurs in China. After every genocide, world leaders wring their hands and say “Never Again” – but every time it is “Never Again” all over again. I applaud those at Hampton School who are determined to raise awareness and mobilise action to stop these appalling atrocities in the world today, and prevent genocide in the future.
The Ten Stages of Genocide.
Ben and Jedd, High School students in New York, spoke to renowned scholar of genocide, Professor Michael Berenbaum, about the ‘Ten Stages of Genocide.’ Professor Berenbaum began by telling us that ‘how we recognize genocide may be a most essential step in preventing genocide.’ Genocide scholar Gregory Stanton has provided us a useful tool in for understanding the evolution of genocide by identifying ten stages. Prof Berenbaum went on to say that ‘Stanton warns that it is not inevitable that one move from one stage to another, in fact, there are effective tools to prevent such a movement, but each stage has been present in each genocide.’ Professor Berenbaum then went on to summarise the stages of genocide and his thoughts on them:
1. CLASSIFICATION: Dividing the society into “us and them” by ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality: 2. SYMBOLIZATION: We give names or other symbols to the classifications. Examples about such as Yellow Stars for Jews. 3. DISCRIMINATION: Denying a powerless group full civil rights, voting rights, even, perhaps especially citizenship. 4. DEHUMANIZATION: One group denies the humanity of the other group. Names are often used, calling another animals is a simple example. 5. ORGANIZATION: Stanton argues that “Genocide is always organized, usually by the state, often using militias to provide deniability of state responsibility.” 6. POLARIZATION: Extremists drive the groups apart. Social cohesion is lost, forces that unite are weakened, isolated, lost. 7. PREPARATION: Plans are made for genocidal killings. In Nazi Germany the policy was called “The Final Solution to the Jewish Problem.” It was implemented by the Nazi State using its laws, bureaucracy, including the army, the police, the courts. The SS became an essential instrument 8. PERSECUTION: Discrimination leads to active persecuted. Stanton argues: “Victims are identified and separated out because of their ethnic or religious identity. Death lists are drawn up.” 9. EXTERMINATION mass killing. The means vary. In Nazi Germany mobile killing units began the process and then death camps were created to depersonalize and use the assembly line killing. The victims were made mobile, shipping them on trains to death camps, which were factories of death, uniting Charles Darwin and Henry Ford. 10. DENIAL is the final stage that lasts during the killing process and follows it as well. Denying the crime enables its repetition. It exonerates the killers. The opposite of denial is admission. Post-war Germany is a prime example of a society that overtime came to terms with its past and continues to do so. Turkey has not yet admitted to the Armenian Genocide even though it was conducted by an earlier and long displace regime. It has marshalled all sort of efforts to deny that the murder of the Armenians was genocide. Today, we also see with regard to the Holocaust that there are those who try to deny that the Holocaust occurred while others, who desire its repetition, even completion, have now come forth to say that Six Million wasn’t enough.
If we are aware of the dangers of each stage, we can prevent going from one stage to another, but that is the subject of another article.
31 Football saved my life
Eric Murangwa Eugene: Football saved my life
Photo: Eric Murangwa Eugene
As a football manager the great Bill Shankly didn’t get many things wrong. However, most agree that when he said “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that”, he was wrong. Nothing in football is more serious than death. Yet for a few, football does end up being a matter of life or death.
The moment that football saved Eric’s life
One such man is Eric Murangwa Eugene, a former captain of the Rwandan national team and goalkeeper for Rayon Sports, one of the top Rwandan football teams. The moment football saved his life was in the midst of the genocide in Rwanda, in which over a million Tutsis were killed by the majority ethnic group, the Hutus on the orders of the government. In April 1994, after the assassination of the Rwandan President, Juvenal Habyarimana, extreme Hutus aided by national propaganda, began a merciless campaign, aimed at exterminating the Tutsi population. A day into this campaign Eric, a Tutsi, found himself face down in his own flat, as several soldiers searched the room. While Eric tried to tell the soldiers he played for Rayon Sports, one soldier shouted at him “You’re lying to me... We were going to kill you later but now you have fast-tracked your death.” Luckily, one of the other soldiers randomly threw up a photo album as he searched. The book fell open on a page of photos of him and his Rayon Sports teammates. The soldier studied the photos for several moments before asking Eric, “Are you Toto?”, which was his nickname. When Eric said yes, the soldier was shocked and disbelievingly said “Wow. How are you?” While Eric could use his football connection to save his roommate and the neighbours, he was unable to save his domestic helper, who was shot within earshot of Eric. The fact he has now forgotten his name still saddens Eric.
Eric’s team-mate saved him but was unfortunately killed
The following months were not any easier for Eric, as he first went to his parents house before continuing to a house, four of his teammates shared. He credits one of these teammates, Longin, as his saviour. Longin acted as negotiator on the multiple occasions when members of the militia came to the house and threatened to kill Eric.
Photo: Eric Murangwa Eugene
Eventually it was decided Eric would have to flee. After pretending to be a UN part-time worker, the UN eventually negotiated his escape to parts of Rwanda under RPF control. Only after, the Tutsi dominated rebel army had taken control of the capital, and whole country, could the death toll be counted. Longin, the man who had done so much to help Eric, was killed trying to save his Tutsi girlfriend, while Eric’s seven-year-old brother Irankunda Jean Paul and 35 other extended family members were was also killed during the 100 days of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Photo: Eric Murangwa Eugene
Eric uses sport to prevent genocide and has received an MBE for his work.
Today Eric lives in the UK, having been granted asylum in 1997. Since then he has worked to prevent another genocide ever happening. Through his organisation, the Ishami Foundation he use the power of sport and storytelling to build tolerance, equality and lasting peace in Rwanda and the UK. Some of Ishami’s activities are to organise for genocide survivors to give talks in local school and communities to talk about what they experienced. It was at one of these talks in my school that I met Eric and learned about his remarkable story.
32 Our final message
Photo: Eric Murangwa Eugene
Photo: Eric Murangwa Eugene
Students from Turing House School wrote to world leaders asking for them to work to end genocide
Why we have written this newspaper: A message from the authors
We’ve written this newspaper because we think that young people (and everyone else too) need to know about the Holo-
caust and other genocides. If genocide is ever to be prevented then it will be because enough people know about how and when it has happened in the past. We must make sure that the memory of those who perished is preserved and that survivors are honoured. At a time with genocide denial is on the rise we see our newspaper as our contribution to keeping truth alive. We hope that this newspaper will be read by lots of people and that it will go some way to raising awareness. We have a lot of people to thank for their help in making this newspaper possible. A huge thank you to everyone who has giving us their time, wisdom and expertise. We hope that you think that we have done a good job in creating a newspaper that can raise awareness of the issues that you are so passionate about. We would also like to thank our teachers for all their help. They have worked in their spare time to help us put together the newspaper. Thank you Ms Riglin, Mr Benjamin, Mrs Sinaguglia, Miss West, Mr Sherrin, Ms Costa, Mr Kennedy We hope that you think that our newspaper is something meaningful and that you will share it with people you know. Thank you
Charlotte, Jedd, Ben, Nayaaz, Charles, Oskar, Luke, Hannah, Jack, Ben, Liam, Maxim, Sam, Sicily, Jahzara, Will, Euan, Henry, Aadam, Tristan, Gabriel, Isaac, Melan, Toby, Tom, Josh, Julena, Felix, Mulki, Lucas, Gregor, Ali, Harley, Phoebe, Oscar, Jamie, Zayn, Theo, Mateo, Suryaksh, Luis. Laura, Isabella, Iliana, Mariangela , Daniel, Omer, Freddie, Jake, Suryaksh, Harley, Theo, James, Luis, Mara, Tino, Miranda, Abi, Reuben, Dilnaz, Rishi, Jonathan, Zayn, Anton, Luke, Siana, Mia, Taran, Toby, Kaiden, Joe, Zeph, Adam, Charlie
The team that has created this newspaper is drawn from the following schools across the country and in the USA: Bedminster Down School, Belle Vue Girls’ Academy, Claverham Community College, Enfield County School For Girls, Hampton School, Royal Liberty School, Scarsdale High School, St Edward’s School, Turing House School
