Preventing genocide is a collective and individual responsibility

Preventing genocide is a collective and individual responsibility

 

The month of April is Genocide Prevention month. It marks the anniversaries of genocides around the world. The Institute for Research of Genocide of Canada has { IRGC} joined the world's leading organizations to launch a public awareness and education campaign during the month of April.

 

Preventing genocide is a collective and individual responsibility. Everyone has a role to play: Governments, the media, civil society organizations, religious groups and each and every one of us.

 

Let us build a global partnership against genocide.

 

Let us protect populations from genocide when their own Governments cannot or will not.

There can be no more important issue, and no more binding obligation, than the prevention of genocide.

We must attack the roots of violence and genocide. These are intolerance, racism, tyranny, and the dehumanizing public discourse that denies whole groups of people their dignity and rights.

We must protect especially the rights of minorities, since they are genocide’s most frequent targets.

Genocide, whether imminent or ongoing, is practically always, if not by definition, a threat to the peace. It must be dealt with as such –- by strong and united political action and, in extreme cases, by military action.

And that means that we need clear ground rules to distinguish between genuine threats of genocide (or comparably massive violations of human rights), which require a military response, and other situations where the use of force would not be legitimate.

We have a clear obligation to prevent genocide. Collectively we also have the power to prevent it. The question is, do we have the will?

I long for the day when we can say with confidence that, confronted with a new Srebrenica, the world would respond effectively, and in good time.

But let us not delude ourselves. That day has not yet come. We must all do more to bring it closer.

Our collective voices will remind the international community to make its commitment to mass atrocity prevention absolute. Until we do, we are destined to repeat the most shameful chapters in human history. Civilians, politicians, celebrities and activists have vowed “Never Again,” that they have learned their lesson from the other genocides of our time.

Professor Emir Ramic

Director IRGC