What can be done to prevent Genocide?

Genocide did not die with the Holocaust, and the world’s cry of “Never Again” continues to ring hollow. The truth is, the world has turned its back on victims of ethnic cleansing in an all too real way. Genocide is raging right now in Darfur, with the Muslim Sudanese government employing the Janjaweed to terrorize and kill innocent non-Muslims. So far, 500,000 Darfuris have been killed, and at least two million displaced. So for our first-ever high school essay contest, Moment decided to ask: “What can be done to prevent genocide?” We knew this was a big question with no easy answers, but the response was truly inspiring: Essays poured in from Jewish, Christian, Hindu and Muslim students at public, parochial and independent schools throughout North America. In the end, we selected three winning essays, and twelve finalists (these are posted online at momentmag.com), that stood out by providing feasible ways in which students—and the rest of us—can make a difference. Read them and learn so that we can end genocide in our lifetime. Thank you to everyone who submitted an essay, and congratulations to our winners and finalists. See below for their names.

—Noah Phillips

Jen Pimentel, Age 16

Dennis Yarmouth Regional High School
South Yarmouth, Massachusetts

While spending time with my eight-year-old nephew recently, I was reminded of a young boy the same age named Mostafa.

Mostafa had witnessed atrocities that no person, let alone a young boy, should ever have to. He later recounted what happened in a drawing using the same kind of crayons and paper my nephew uses to draw me pictures of his home, but depicting a much graver scene. When his village in the Darfur region of Sudan was raided, men of the Janjaweed ruthlessly murdered the men of Mostafa’s village and raped many of the women.

After watching a number of documentaries and hearing the survival stories of Sudanese refugees who lived through the terror, as well as the stories of their brothers and sisters who did not, you reach a point where it is impossible to remain an idle witness. To be complacent is to be complicit in genocide. In an attempt to seize the opportunity to become something greater than ourselves, our chapter of STAND (Students Taking Action Now Darfur) has developed an idea titled “No Prom for Darfur” as a means to spread awareness.

Because of its startling title, the idea has grabbed the attention of our community, including other high schools across Cape Cod. Instead of spending large sums of money on extravagant gowns and tuxes we will only wear once, we are suggesting that students make a donation to the organizations working to help the people of Darfur and attend the “No Prom for Darfur.” The attendees will be able to enjoy the entertainment of local school bands and a DJ. In addition to the recreational aspect, STAND representatives will be present to provide information on the dire situation in the Sudan. The all-inclusiveness of the event creates a positive force aimed at freeing the people of Darfur from oppression.

Our mission may seem impossible. We know from history, however, that one person can make a difference. At an even more difficult time in the world’s history, Winston Churchill took to the British airwaves as his nation faced aerial bombardment, night and day, assuring people that they could overcome the seemingly indomitable Germans. He said: “We will fight them in the air, and we will fight them at sea….And, heaven forbid, if we must abandon, our British Isles, we will fight them from Canada. But we will never, never, never give up.”

As predictions of the accelerated genocide in Darfur ring in our ears, we must devote ourselves to stopping it. We are going to have to save Darfur in the classroom. And save Darfur in the hallways. And save Darfur with our prom money and our time. And save Darfur in our statehouse. And save Darfur at the kitchen table, over dinner with our families. And save Darfur at the White House, sitting down with the President.

And we need to—we must, we have to—keep on saving Darfur until the genocide stops.

Aaron Rosenson, Age 17

Evanston Township High School
Evanston, Illinois

Genocide is an evil that is spawned by the hatred of a few but sustained by the apathy of the many. World-renowned Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal proclaimed that the prevention of future genocide can never be achieved by merely prosecuting those who are directly responsible for crimes against humanity. Rather, the burning presence of genocide can be extinguished only with the help of those who have seemingly no involvement.

Genocide’s continued existence is made possible by the general public. Those who live free from persecution often adopt the mentality that showing gratitude for their good fortune is an adequate response to the suffering of others. It is this very mentality that prevented more Jews from being saved during the Holocaust. It is this very mentality that prevents a moral and modernized world from intervening in the ruthless massacres taking place in Darfur. Humanity has the power to advocate on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. Those who do not know or care about these tragedies not only miss their chance to aid those in need; they undermine the ability of humanity as a whole to help others.

To prevent genocide, the spotlight should be shifted away from the psychotic few causing the harm and toward the apathetic many who can prevent it. To educate people as to how they can become part of an active society, public schools should have mandatory units on genocide. Once an entire generation is educated, the chances will increase that governments will become more human rights oriented. The curriculum should include general speakers, first-person accounts and powerful literature. Also, lessons should emphasize the power that individuals can exert, such as righteous Gentiles during the Holocaust, or heroes during the genocide in Rwanda. Collectively, these elements will demonstrate that the horrors that have taken place—and that are still taking place—are preventable.

Efforts should also be made to teach journalism advocacy, skills such as lobbying and running foreign-aid projects, and exercising one’s rights as a citizen. These activities will equip future leaders with the skills they need to lead a society that defends the oppressed, while nurturing compassion and a sense of obligation to the human race as a whole.

The key to preventing genocide lies not just in the politicians and policy makers, but in the common man. When humanity can actively empathize with the less fortunate, genocide can be eliminated once and for all. Implementing a hands-on genocide unit into the school curriculum will undoubtedly inspire many people to sympathize with the downtrodden, while realizing their own potential as human beings.

Emma Rollo, Age 15

Episcopal High School
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Two years ago, the news was on the TV, but I was hardly paying attention. Then I heard the word “genocide,” and my eyes were drawn to the screen. To my horror, I saw gruesome footage of small children and babies in a refugee camp, obviously starving by the look of their frail, skeleton-like bodies. The story reported that these children and others had fled their homes to escape widespread killings in their villages, and described the scene of human suffering as the genocide now unfolding in Darfur, Sudan.

Many students are unaware of this crisis, while others don’t seem to care because they think that this crisis is so far away. Tragic events like this should make people wonder: Could something like this happen to me?

I personally know what it’s like to be abruptly forced from my home and relocated in fear. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated many cities, including my hometown, New Orleans. My family evacuated to the city of Baton Rouge, where we waited out the hurricane with dread, terrified about our home, school, friends and family. My family has since remained in Baton Rouge, where I am attending Episcopal High School as a tenth-grader.

After seeing the destruction in Darfur a few months after Katrina, I decided to act. With help from one of my ninth-grade teachers, we started the Darfur Club at school to help the people of Darfur. The main goals of the club are to raise both money and awareness. We quickly laid out our first campaign, which consisted of a PowerPoint presentation to the school’s students at an assembly to raise awareness and a dress-down day to raise money. In the end, we raised $800 for the cause. As this year began, the Darfur Club joined STAND (Students Taking Action Now Darfur). We decided to hold a four-week campaign including posters, a bake sale and a coin war. We’re wrapping up our campaign now and expect great results.

I believe that students need to take a more active role in trying to help restore and stabilize Darfur. Students can join or start a school or church group focusing on genocide, with a more specific look at the genocide in Darfur, and then start campaigning. Another option is to involve the media. For instance, if a school has a paper or radio station, students there could advertise the cause to others. Also, students should directly contact their political leaders and get them interested.

We must realize that the genocide in Darfur may affect our future. While this is a massive problem that cannot be quickly resolved, we as future American leaders can and should do more to help.

Following are the finalists and their essays. Thanks to all for participating!

Samuel Louis Spector

Age 19, Seattle, WA

Seventy years ago in Brailov, Ukraine, my family watched as German soldiers lifted the barrels of their guns and mowed them down, one by one.  The world watched in silence as my family and millions of others fell to the hands of ethnic cleansing and genocide and did nothing.  You would think that after the worst massacre that human civilization has ever known, that genocides would stop, yet they have continued.  The world watched silently as the Rwandans were struck down with machetes, when two hundred East Timorese starved to death, when the Bosnians and Kosovo civilians were killed at the hands of Serbi, when the Kurds were gassed by Saddam Hussein, and when the Khemer Rouge slaughtered over one million Cambodians.  The world watched in horror, before changing the channel on their televisions to something more “comforting” and family appropriate.”  Today we change the channel on the pleas for help by those in Darfur.

“First the came for the Communists,
And I didn’t speak up,
Because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then, they came for the Jews,
And I didn’t speak up,
Because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
And I didn’t speak up,
Because I wasn’t a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
And by that time, there was nobody left to speak up.”

Martin Niemoller’s words echoed through my head as I watched my synagogue’s presentation on the genocide in Darfur.  I added a line of my own to the poem, “Then they came for the innocent children and I spoke up, because I am an innocent child.”  As a citizen of the world, it is my duty to speak up for those who are not being heard and educate others.

Being active in Amnesty International, I wanted to make others aware of the genocides in Africa.  My club presented a movie called “Invisible Children” on the child soldiers of Uganda and Africa.  My friends walked into the assembly expecting another pointless presentation, but instead came out sad, angry, informed and motivated to take action.  I encouraged them to write letters to their senators and congressional representatives, the United Nations and the government of the country committing these atrocities.  In one campaign, we wrote seventy letters, which may not sound like a lot, but if every school in the country sent seventy letters to Sudan’s leaders; that suddently becomes hundreds of thousands of letters that somebody has to read.

I do not know if my letters will make a difference; yet when history looks back; I can proudly say that I was not silent, and that I took action.  Nobody should ever excuse themselves by asking, “Well, I’m just one person, what could I have done?”  So next time instead of changing the channel, turn off the television all together, inform those you know and let the world know that you will not stand for these injustices. 

Avi Lipsitz

Age 18, Toronto, Ontario

Look at yourself: How to Prevent Further Genocides

If an other-worldly observer were to take a look at the state of humankind, he would surely come to the conclusion that we are a race of vicious and hateful creatures; although people in the West tend to talk of our supposed civilization, it is the fact that we allow genocides to continue apace in Africa and elsewhere that in fact proves the exact opposite. Not only are we uncivilized, we are in fact indifferent and hypocritical fools, for it is the fool who does not learn from his own mistakes. Europe experienced its last genocide a mere sixty-five years ago; although the massacre of Native Americans is a bit further back in history, white North America’s own perpetration of genocide was really only one short century ago.

If one were to examine the root cause of all these calamities, it becomes clear that it is one and the same throughout all genocides. Namely, it is man’s desire for power that blinds his innate humanity; his fear of strangers that impedes his ability to recognize other people as just that – other people. Not sub-humans. Not sex-slaves or labourers. Not vermin nor dogs nor hell-destined swine. By forcing people to see themselves in every other man or woman upon whom they look, people like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Milosevic, or the Janjaweed would not have been able to commit the atrocities that they did, for who would voluntarily torture and kill him- or herself?

Obviously, such a solution is far less realistic and far more difficult to implement in the real world than it is on paper. However, it would be disastrous and cowardly to give up, for then nothing would be achieved. As such, it is imperative that for any type of solution to be effective, it must be first introduced among youth. As non-violent change – in this case, education – usually works best, this should be the primary goal. That is, rather then forcibly disarming militias (which causes both resentment and misunderstandings), national education curricula in the most vulnerable places (such as Sudan and Central Africa) must be altered so that people begin to lose their mistrust of the tribe across the river, or of the merchants who come through town every month. This is not easy, and cannot be done by activists or politicians in New York or London. Rather, any change must be effected at the local level. People must be encouraged to break out of their old shell of exclusivity and interact with others who may have different languages and practices. Children must be introduced to their contemporaries from the other village and play a game of soccer together. Women in the market must attempt conversation with those who seem strange. Men in the fields must work together to feed themselves and their families. Only by emphasising the common humanity between people and de-emphasising our negligible differences that are all too often blown out of proportion will people truly be able to recognise themselves in fellow man.

Lewis Halpern

Age 18, Atlanta, GA

When trying to prevent future genocides, the main questions we must ask ourselves are: have we learnt sufficiently from the past? Are we doing anything at all to prevent new genocides, and is it enough? Genocide, characterized by the intent to destroy national, ethnic or religious groups, is the most violent and pernicious form of human rights violations. Yet in the decades since the Holocaust, we have not been able to prevent or halt even the most brutal forms of violence against whole groups of people.

It is true that the international human rights movement and especially the end of the Cold War have brought progress. The allied intervention in northern Iraq protected the Kurds there. The humanitarian interventions in Somalia and Bosnia saved people from starvation. In many other conflicts United Nations peace keepers prevented new outbreaks of violence. Numerous life saving relief operations were mounted. All these attempts were unthinkable some decades ago. They are very positive, but not enough. Ten years after more than 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by their fellow countrymen, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today unveiled a five-point plan for the United Nations to prevent future genocides while calling particular attention to the crisis unfolding now in the Darfur region of Sudan. In outlining his Action Plan to Prevent Genocide, Mr. Annan said the first step must be to prevent armed conflict by addressing the issues that cause it. “We must attack the roots of violence and genocide: hatred, intolerance, racism, tyranny, and the dehumanizing public discourse that denies whole groups of people their dignity and their rights,” he said. “Let us not wait until the worst has happened, or is already happening,” the Secretary-General concluded. “Let us not wait until the only alternatives to military action are futile hand-wringing or callous indifference. Let us be serious about preventing genocide. Only so can we honour the victims whom we remember today. Only so can we save those who might be victims tomorrow.” American leadership remains essential to protecting human rights, to preventing new genocides and to helping refugees worldwide. You can contribute. In fact, your role is vital. Speak up for human rights. Urge your government to support the war crimes tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia. Denounce repression. Counter international passivity and isolationism. Mobilize public opinion. Insist that the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers are respected. Work against the imprisonment of asylum-seekers. Maintain basic social services especially for elderly, sick or disabled refugees. Call upon your newspapers and television stations to offer in-depth reporting on human rights and refugee issues - ask them to show the accomplishments of refugees and migrants. Their presence is a testament to the proud humanitarian tradition of American society.

Michel Aronson

Age 17, Holbrook, NY

What Can Be Done to Prevent Future Genocides?

Education, exposure, experience. It is certainly not political or military policy, but these not-so-easy “E’s” are the steps that prevent the pyramid of hate from being built. We must ensure that all people, especially young people, are aware of our undying diversity and the ways others have dealt with it in the past. Thus we can eliminate prejudiced attitudes, which lead to acts of prejudice, discrimination, violence, and finally, genocide (The Pyramid 23). 

Education of past events is the key to improvement; our ability to study the past and learn from it can be used to prevent future genocides. Children at an elementary school age should be taught to respect everyone and to work together with different people, regardless of race or religion. By the time children reach middle school, they should be taught world history, including the too-numerous genocides that have taken place across the world. Israelis should learn about Pol Pot, and Cambodians should learn about Hitler. Children who continue their education will continue to learn the causes of and the horrors of genocide. With education comes the determination to never let genocide happen again.

Exposure to current events and ongoing genocides is the next step in preventing future genocides. Knowledge and insight gained by studying the past has no meaning without a way of applying it to the present. Think of the effects that George Clooney and other American actors have had- by speaking out about the Sudanese genocide, they have influenced many Americans to call for peace. The foremost resource for exposure in our digital world is the Internet. A comprehensive, multilingual website covering such topics as racism, hate crimes, genocides, but also acts of tolerance can expose the masses to current events. (Think a more focused and reliable version of Wikipedia with coverage similar to the British Broadcasting Company.) Exposure to current events, coupled with education of past events, will broaden people’s perspectives of others and turn general attitude to fighting genocide.

Experience is the third dimension to this solution; by traveling and interacting with people of different races, religions, and ethnicities, “different” will not equal “unknown,” and stereotypes will not be formed. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other.” We must create and support foreign exchange programs between all countries, in order to allow young people to make decisions about others for themselves instead of believing what a political leader tells them. We should publicize chat rooms and forums where people can talk nationally or internationally. Experience with different kinds of people, whether international or not, will break up stereotypes and change people’s perceptions. Real-life experience enforces the lessons learned from a textbook.

By shaping the way our youth thinks, by teaching people to be more tolerant and understand situations in different ways, by using the three E’s, we can prevent future genocides.

Bobby Harrington

Age 17, South Plainfield, NJ

Many genocides have occurred throughout the history of mankind.  Unfortunately there is no way to go back and save the innocent victims who were wrongfully killed.  However we can learn from their experiences and hopefully with that knowledge we can prevent genocides in the future. By spreading awareness and getting more and more people involved, I believe that the atrocity that is genocide can be prevented in future generations.

It is the sad truth that many people today do not know about Darfur.  It is not because they do not care though; it is because they have not been informed.  Many people are compassionate at heart and would jump at the opportunity to help innocent people however they can.  To raise awareness there has to be a large scale marketing campaign, complete with billboards, posters, and commercials.  These things must cover a wide demographic for maximum awareness.  The newspaper posters must be placed in the sports section as well as the business section.  The commercials must be on MTV as well as on CNN.  It is absolutely crucial that a wide range of people are targeted, because if the target group is limited, the response will be limited as well.

I believe that the prevention of genocide needs to be portrayed as something that is popular for it to be truly effective. Some celebrities, such as George Clooney, are already involved, but there needs to be more.  It is nice to see the Help Darfur President on television, but his message may soon be forgotten by the casual viewers.  If Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz are doing the commercials though, many people would immediately become interested and listen to their messages.  People will follow what their role models say, and the number of people helping in the prevention of genocide will quickly grow from a minority to the majority.

Of course you have to wonder what all of this awareness will do to effect the perpetrators of the genocide. The answer is probably nothing.  But what the awareness will do is force people with power to take notice.  If in 2004 there had been a large percentage of the American population interested in Darfur, it would have become a major election issue.  President Bush would have been forced to support intervention or he would not have been elected again.  Public pressure can force those with power to take action.  The leaders of major countries would be forced to send in military forces capable of forcibly ending the genocide, or they would risk not having that power anymore.

It may seem today that genocide will never end.  I believe that to be a very pessimistic view that will not solve anything.  Action needs to be taken.  People need to become involved.  Leaders with power to do something must understand that the people want something to be done. A precedent must be established in which the perpetrators are punished for their actions.  This will let future potential perpetrators know what the consequences will be.  Stopping the genocides of the past is not possible.  Preventing the genocides of the future is.

Ashley Perez

Age 17, Brick, NJ

Darfur is but the latest genocide in a long line of genocides, and is unlikely to be the last. The situation there is truly horrific and deserves our attention and whatever help we can give. Through our world we have had numerous systematic murders of a particular group by another group. Students around the world, Jewish and not, are extremely concerned about the mass killings occurring in Darfur. 600,000 people depend on us to make a difference, to help change their life. I write to today to tackle a very serious question that I may very well have to contend with in the future. “What can be done to prevent future genocides?”

There are a number of things we can do to help stop the killing in Darfur and bring peace and security to the region. We need to take action to higher authority, we must inform the people, stand loud and let them know, most of all stop hiding it. We the people should write letters to President Bush urging him to end the Genocide. Like in school when he have problems we write to the head person , the more we write, the more they will hear, the more they act on it , and fix the problem. We can get groups of people together and write letters.  Sounds impossible, but thousands of people would do it; they need some to show them the way. Monkey see monkey do, no one wants to be the first person because they are afraid people will not join in and fight with them, but we will, I will.

Organize an event in the area, get every one involved. People ignore things because they think that if it is million miles a way in other countries it can not happened here in ours, but it can. The more we show them that this is real, they will believe it and realize this is no playing matter and it needs to be stopped. Pick a time and place where the maximum number of people will be able to participate, the bigger the crowd , the more ears that have heard, the more mouths that will talk , the more ideas that will come about because ONE person made the choice to do something for people they do not know , but they want to help.

We live in the 21st century, through the way technology; the internet and television rule our lives. Tabloids take over our daily time in line at the food store and the sayings on some ones shirt tend to entertain us Americans. We all are guilty of it and can not deny it. So we do something about, make it something we want to read, something that is real, something with a point, the truth! Getting together to make a difference can change the lives for many. With simple shirts or magazines little by little people will see, and get involved. Every one is for the cause, with bracelets and websites, to banners on their "Myspaces". People are there to help, we are here to help. He stands together to try and change something bigger then anything we have or will encounter in our lives. We try, we hope, and pray it will end.

Cayce Pack

Age 16, Mount Juliet, TN

Six million won’t settle

It came to me as I slid beneath my sheets, warmed and whistling clean, readying myself for much-needed sleep.

Six million won’t settle.

It startled me, piercing my worries of tomorrow’s history test and cheerleading practice like a sort of heavenly dagger. It was an unsuspecting haunting, stemming from an anonymous source, that kept me from slumbering that night. My skin clammed with chills and my eyes swarmed through ghostly visions.

I envisioned a girl of my same age, equally failing to make friends with sleep, lying on the splintering bunks of a concentration camp. I saw her shaved head that once held hair curls, I pictured her previously scented skin now scarred with a identification tattoo, and I visualized her bedroom back home that probably filled itself with picture frames and paintings. I saw her near to myself, with my same interests and emotions.

Stranded like an angel in hell, she could not rationalize her situation with any school-taught reason. Finally accepting her fate might fall to the same path as her Jewish peers, she fought for the promise that this torture would never reprise.

This is the 20th century, she deemed, it cannot keep happening.

That was the 20th century. It happened six million times as six million Jews were slaughtered in a genocide led by Adolf Hitler during World War II. The world noticed, the world said never again.

Then Southern Sudan happened, followed by Cambodia. Then it was Burkina Faso. Next came the Hmong, followed by the Bantu. Sometime while the world continued to apologize, Bosnia and Rwanda slipped through.

It is now the 21st century, but the bloodbaths still drench. Since February 2003, approximately 400 thousand have vanished from Darfur, the western region of Sudan. The state-sponsored “Janjaweed” militia has massacred the native black tribes, soaking the world map with bloodstains. The residents who have yet to meet death resign to an equally grave status as refugees, which is a population currently totaling two million.

As the Sudanese genocide began, several million graves unearthed their skeletons. The mass burials of the Holocaust were too shallow to succumb subtly. Although their bodies are lost, their eyes have been opened to the tragedies in Darfur. Left without a coffin, the six million refuse to retreat.

The Jews’ lives, their legacy, their remembrance, and their deaths that served as a global example of genocide are in vain if we allow their graves to remain open with inaction.

Genocide is not our past, but instead the inner workings of man’s intolerance that lie dormant inside everyday life. However, by educating ourselves of genocide’s past attacks and its victims, we can prevent potential eruptions. Genocide cannot be stopped by a military, man’s weapons, a ceasefire, or a signature. It will be prevented by realizing that if we do not believe it can happen again, it surely will.

If we think of genocide as history, it will most certainly become our future.

Six million wouldn’t settle.

Prateek Kumar

Age 16, Andover, MA

Genocide has been an unfortunate part of our world for centuries, and the 20th century was no exception as the modern world stood by and did nothing while millions were murdered during the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust. With earlier atrocities, the world could defend itself by saying “We didn’t know,” but in today’s world of 24-hour news, live satellite coverage, and instantaneous internet postings of events occurring around the world, not only do we know that genocide is occurring, but we can see the warning signals firsthand and do something to prevent genocide. Preventing future genocides is a complicated task that does not end with cease-fires or half-hearted peace agreements; conflict resolution between opposing ethnic groups—involving the establishment of economic ties, social and legal infrastructure, and a trusting relationship—is necessary in the long-run to prevent genocide and the outbreaks of civil war that often lead to humanitarian atrocities.

Building a long-lasting peace rather than maintaining a tenuous, short-term cease-fire requires reconciliation between the warring groups. John Paul Lederach argues in his book, Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies, that three assumptions must be taken into consideration:

1. Relationships between both sides, including economic ties, must be built. Trading goods and doing business amongst all groups would help to rebuild infrastructure, alleviate the poor living conditions that are present in many of these divided societies, and most importantly, foster trust among the different groups.
2. The fighting groups tend to be interdependent groups with long, often painful, histories. By acknowledging the atrocities that have occurred during a conflict, each group can help ensure that the vicious cycle of revenge does not continue. By enhancing this interdependence though economic, social, and legal ties, we can lessen the likelihood of a return to conflict.
3. We must be willing to innovate by looking for ideas outside the mainstream while helping the involved parties reach a compromise that will lead end atrocities and/or prevent them from occurring.

These assumptions apply whether ethnic groups have just implemented a cease-fire and are beginning peace negotiations, or appear to be on the brink of civil war and/or genocide. Mediators from third parties, such as the United States and the U.N., should be involved in the reconciliation process. Mediators face the task of defining the root causes of the conflict and getting both sides to look at the “big picture” while providing basic necessities to people affected by any fighting that might have occurred. In addition, the mediators must help both sides work out a compromise that incorporates a common vision for an interdependent society, and most importantly, must ensure that both sides follow through with this compromise by working together to repair infrastructure and heal the social divides that might otherwise lead to conflict and genocide. Through active involvement in potential “hot spots” for ethnic conflict and genocide, the United States and the United Nations can help create a long-lasting peace that would prevent genocide and so-called “ethnic cleansing” from occurring.

Caitlin Piserchia

Age 15, Haddonfield, NJ

When the promise of security becomes more important than human rights, genocide can follow.  People tend to be desperately afraid of each other.  We naturally fear differences because we assume our particular way of thinking and living is the right way. 

Although citizens of Germany allowed genocide to occur, they were no more sadistic than any other community.  Genocide is a recurring theme; it happens over and over, with different people and different settings.  Good people consumed by fear can become murderers when, in order to stay safe, they are willing to sacrifice everything they value.  The word for discrimination against gay people is homophobia, meaning literally “fear of homosexuals.”  Fear is often a synonym for hatred. 

To prevent future genocide, people need to choose human rights over security.  Fear is often much worse than reality, and seeking out security at all cost can result in atrocities.

Deeply embedded in most human beings is the saga of good versus evil.  In our so-called struggles between good and evil, we fail to see that we have created both.  Innumerable groups of people throughout history have assumed that their way of doing things is the best way, and they often justify extreme actions in the name of spreading “good”.  This has created an ongoing story of discrimination and intolerance toward the “others,” in which nearly every ethnic or religious group has been both oppressor and oppressed.   

There are no good people or evil people; there are just people.  In the book Huckleberry Finn, Jim, a runaway slave, does not understand why people of differing nations or cultures speak different languages.  Huck, his young, white companion, explains that pigs have a different way of communicating from cows, so why wouldn’t people also have different ways of communicating?  Jim does not buy into this argument because, as he reasons, all men are one type of animal.  All cows communicate the same, so why wouldn’t all men talk the same?  Jim is lacking in school smarts but not insight.  There are no human sub-species; people are just people. 

Although all people are unique, genetic differences between “races” are almost nonexistent.  Many people are as genetically different from members of their own “race” as they are from members of other “races.”  Discrimination and prejudice against certain groups of people, then, are completely unfounded.  In order to prevent hatred, violence, and genocide, each of us has to identify our own personal prejudices and demolish them.  Every person is an individual and deserves to be evaluated as such.   

Learning from the past is important for building a better future.  We need to teach and learn about past genocide so we do not run into the same walls. 

Too many people are killed because of fear and misunderstanding.  One of the most important things we can do to prevent genocide is to question the way things are and to be open to change.  We have to experience, learn, and build compassion for people who are different from us.  We need to be afraid of fear and begin thinking of “the others” as fellow human beings.  We need to try to understand what makes us hate other human beings, so that we might finally crush the seeds of genocide. 

Safiyyah Abdul-Khabir

Age 15, Victorville, CA

What We Can Do NOW

From the Armenian genocide in 1915 to the Rwanda genocide in 1994, we know that genocides have numerously occurred throughout the 20th century--destroying millions of lives and families.  One day even the current Darfur genocide will be just another forgotten mark in history.  Unless something is done NOW, this trend of genocides will most definitely continue into the future.  I believe the key to stopping future genocides is through today's youth.

We, the young people of today, will soon have the reigns of power for tomorrow.  With this power comes great responsibility.  We will be the ones making decisions on crucial issues.  We will also be the ones responsible for preventing genocides from occurring.

I believe the first step in preventing future genocides is to educate kids and teens NOW about the way others live around the world.  I believe one of the main reasons why not many people in America are speaking out against the Darfur genocide is because we don't really know about the Africans in Sudan.  To put it simply, they're like aliens to us: they dress differently, talk differently, and live differently. Because we can't understand or relate to them, we don't really care about them.  In fact, most peoples responses when asked about the Africans are, They're those weird people who live in huts somewhere in Africa. This type of ignorant understanding does not make people want to help the Africans even when they're in desperate need of aid.  In order to really want to help other people, we must first know them. 

So I propose Understanding Across the Globe (UAG), an e-pal/pen-pal network for students to better understand other cultures by becoming friends with someone across the globe.  Students around the world can sign up for UAG in classrooms and pick somebody in another country to write back and forth to via email or snail mail.  To ensure safety, all exchanges will happen at school and can be monitored by a teacher.

By sharing info about life and school, students around the world will be able to appreciate and understand others different from them.  The end result is that in the future, we will be less inclined to harm those whom we had become friends with.

Avi Cohen

Age14, Essex Fells, NJ

Preventing Genocide

The definition of the word “genocide” is a systematic and deliberate annihilation of a group of people who are culturally or ethnically similar. Genocides occur for many different reasons. The most common reasons are because of ethnic differences or religious “cleansing” or “purification.” Though, it is not uncommon for genocide to happen just out of pure animosity. While it is impossible to change what happened in the past, and some would argue it is virtually impossible or extremely difficult to change or stop a genocide that is currently happening, it is quite simple to prevent future genocides. In order to stop future genocides we must first look at previous genocides and what went wrong.

The classic saying or moral derived from the Holocaust is to “never forget and always remember…” Almost every human knows about the Holocaust (whether they believe in it or not, Holocaust deniers and revisionists…). There are countless books and memoirs written about the Holocaust as well as museums dedicated to the Holocaust and its remembrance. However, something must have slipped our mind. Since the end of the Holocaust, there have been about ten or more major genocides, though none as great as the original attempt to eradicate the Jews. Simply remembering isn’t enough…

During many of the more recent genocides, most parts of the world actually knew about what was happening around the world, to an extent. In the cases of Rwanda, the breakup of Yugoslavia, and especially Darfur there was/is a worldwide knowledge of what was happening. Though speaking out about Darfur publicly has had some effect, the genocide continues. Some people lived in ignorance while others just didn’t care. Knowledge, information, and spreading the message are not the panacea for discrimination and genocide.

There are multiple ways to prevent a mass genocide. If done together, the world will never again see something as horrible as what happened sixty years ago. The most obvious method to prevent something at that scale is to influence young children and adolescents early, teaching about the Holocaust. Now, telling a third grader to read a book about the Holocaust is unrealistic. It would be too graphic, too hard to read at their level, and they wouldn’t understand its true meaning. However, explaining it to them in extreme simplicity in school would help. Every human, no matter what age or stage of maturity, has a basic understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Every human has a moral code that they live by. At a young age is when this “code” is most malleable. To teach about the Holocaust to all students of all genders, races, and religions will greatly influence their actions throughout the rest of their lives. To teach only about the Holocaust would create a huge scandal. So instead, just teaching and enforcing to the children the right and wrongs of human nature. As the children grow more mature and understanding they can read more and more.

Many books that are read at high school level will enforce the basic moral teaching already taught to the students. Books that have nothing to do with genocide at all can have a huge impact on a child’s life. The book Lord of the Flies explains this moral code in gruesome detail, and teaches us how to act by showing us the opposite. Using grim and gruesome detail is another way to bolster what has already been taught. Memoirs such as Night use graphic detail and can almost scare those who read to act morally and correctly. The first time I read Night I was in awe from start to finish. Most children in middle school might have been reduced to tears. Using explicit and striking detail in a book will greatly influence a person. Also, using illustrative moment/images in anything has a strong effect on people. The anti-tobacco commercials stretch this method to the max. However, making commercials about previous genocides is a little drastic. Starting off with a Darfur commercial and expanding once it eventually ends to never letting something like that happen again. Using actual photographs taken there and showing them to the public would definitely stop the spread of genocides.

Though it is very hard to halt a current problem, problems in the future can be easily avoided. As long as we act smart now we can later live in peace with no fear and no terror.

Alyssa Blumenthal

Age 13, Long Beach, NY

A genocide can defined as "the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group." In the past, many genocides have unfortunately taken place. The Holocaust was such a catastrophic event. Whenever discussing this horrific period in our history, one often hears phrases like "we will never forget" or "it can never happen again." But how are we going to be able to carry out these promises? Genocides are still occurring throughout the world, in such places as Darfur, despite these cries of remembrance.

One important step in  the prevention of future genocides is education. Every man, woman, and child needs to learn about the past as well as the cultures of others. With understanding, comes tolerance, and genocide will not occur if everyone attempts to understand each other. Genocides occurs when one group feels threatened by another, but if people understood one another better and were more accepting of people's differences, then genocides could be put to an end.

In order to prevent genocides, people must not only be aware of their surroundings and world events, but must advocate for improvement. When hatred blooms, people must not shut their eyes and must take action! Those who do nothing to stop hatred are just as much to blame for genocide as anyone else who causes it. Just think, if people had been aware of the events of the Holocaust and had done something to stop it early on, how many lives would have been saved? Ignorance and inaction are serious problems in our world today and  will lead to horrific events in the future. This can be done through school classes and assemblies. Public awareness can also be raised through community events, fundraisers, and announcements. Even substantial achievements begin with small steps. Simply starting a petition to a public official or voting for electives who are fighting discrimination and genocides can make a huge impact on the world and future!

The prevention of genocide not only lies in current generations, but in the hands of future generations. Children must be raised with awareness and knowledge about their surroundings to ensure a safe and unprejudiced future for all people. Parents and teachers hold the responsibility of educating their young about past and current events. Kids take the examples of their parents and elders; if children are taught at an early age to be open minded, understanding, and caring, they will carry these traits with them throughout all of life.

Genocide is an issue that is still fresh in the minds of many people, and certain measures MUST be taken to ensure that genocides never occur again! Through education, public awareness, and understanding, we can hope that all people, today and in the future, are saved from such horrific events as the Holocaust and the genocide in Darfur. This task is everyone's obligation and no one is exempt!