2. WHAT IS GENOCIDE?
The word genocide is defined
by Merriam-Webster as, “the
deliberate killing of people who
belong to a particular racial,
political, or cultural group.”
Genocide has been around for
millenniums, and is
unfortunately a pressing issue in
today’s society.
3. EXAMPLES OF GENOCIDE
You could track genocide well before the beginning of the Crusades
in the 11th century.
Some classic modern history examples are:
The Holocaust
Rwandan Genocide
Darfur Crisis
4. THE HOLOCAUST
The Holocaust, deriving from the German word, holokauston
(meaning “sacrifice by fire”) was an event during World War II
featuring the massacre of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and the
disabled.
The leader, Adolf Hitler, believed in Aryan Supremacy and that all
others were inferior and were a disease and a serious problem to the
development of the German economy, recently demolished from the
wrath of the Treaty of Versailles (1919).
Approximately 11 million people were massacred through various
methods such as concentration camps, gas chambers, and labor
camps.
5. RWANDAN GENOCIDE
The genocide that occurred in Rwanda is probably
the most “dense” genocides in recorded history.
The genocidal event lasted about 100 days (April
6-July 16, 1994).
Approximately 800,000 to 1 million Tutsis (and
some moderate Hutus) were massacred by the
Rwandan tribe, the Hutus.
It is estimated that more than 6 men, women, and
children were murdered every minute of every hour
of every day. This efficiency was maintained for
more than 3 months.
Survivors, to this day, still are treated very poorly.
The picture above is that of the graves of
some of the victims in Rwanda.
6. DARFUR CRISIS
Darfur is a region in Sudan and is home to
about 6 million people from nearly 100
different tribes.
In 2003, two Darfuri rebel movements – the
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and
Equality Movement (JEM) – attacked the Sudanese government on terms of
not acting on quarrels in the area.
The government responded by releasing an Arab militia, the Janjaweed,
throughout regions of Darfur.
Over 400,000 Darfuri civilians have died.
2.8 million people have been displaced within Sudan.
Janjaweed militia and government forces have been responsible for 97% of
the killing.
7. GENOCIDE TODAY
Believe it or not, genocide is occurring
in this moment in the Middle East
with the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS).
ISIS originated as a branch off of the group al-Qaeda.
The Arabic group is known for killing dozens of people at a time and
carrying out public executions, crucifixions, beheadings, and other
gruesome acts.
Many mosques and other holy temples have been blown up in Syria
and Iraq by the group. Millions have been displaced from their
homes.
8. THE SOLUTION
Genocide has been a major problem due to the
fact that many people act out through terror and
acts of genocide when they disagree on certain
topics.
Many major first-world nations have acted
against genocide and have quenched must of the
rigor of genocide in multiple nations.
In the cases of ISIS, many nations, including the USA, are in the
process of taking drastic measures to stop the Islamic State.
WE as a nation can do our part (in the future) by ensuring we elect
grand people in the 2016 Elections here in the USA. Strong leaders
brings about strong influence and sometimes success.
9. SOURCES
"Darfur – Facts And timeline." New Internationalist All Posts RSS. Web. 22
May 2015.
"Fast Facts on Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)." WPTV. Web. 22 May
2015.
"Genocide Facts." The Rwandan Genocide. 17 June 2012. Web. 22 May 2015.
"Past Genocides - Armenia, Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur." United to
End Genocide. Web. 22 May 2015.
Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Holocaust Facts - 33 Things You Should Know." Web.
22 May 2015.
"Past Genocides - Armenia, Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur." United to
End Genocide. Web. 22 May 2015.
