Genocide Awareness

To the Citizens of the United States of America,

We are students from the Master of Social Work program at the University of New England. We would like to thank you in advance for the opportunity to address you regarding genocide. Why the topic of genocide? Why now? The world as we know it has changed. Boundaries between countries are becoming nonexistent. 9-11 showed us that we must prepare before rather than after the fact. We can no longer say or believe that it will not happen here.

We have put together a website for you to gain more understanding of why we need to raise awareness on the topic of genocide. We feel that more people need to be educated about genocide in order to make a stand against it. The public needs to be made aware of current situations of mass violence and human rights offenses. If we act early, we can resolve them and prevent them from turning into a full blown genocide.

In addition to the website that we have created, we would like to inform you of some examples of genocide, so that you may have the information to advocate for more awareness on this horrible crime. First, genocide is defined as “violent crimes committed against groups with the intent to destroy the existence of the group,” (Diep, 2007). Historic examples of genocide would be the Holocaust, Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda, Sudan, etc.
During the Holocaust, the “…Nazi leadership embarked on a variety of population policies aimed at restructuring the ethnic composition of Europe by force, using mass murder as a tool,” (Donohue, 2012). One of the current issues that is happening is in Burma.
“The ruling military regime in Burma is one of the world’s most oppressive and abusive. Currently, the Burmese government is involved in a military campaign against the largest indigenous ethnic group in Eastern Burma, the Karen. The Karen practice Christianity, whereas Burma is a mostly Buddhist nation. The militarized government has developed plans to eliminate those who do not fit in to what is thought of as being “Burmese.” Many Karen accuse the Burmese government of “ethnic cleansing” due to major counter-insurgency campaigns that have led to widespread mass atrocities against the Karen people. Such atrocities include summary execution, severe torture and rape, as well as forced labor, extortion and displacement. Aid agencies estimate that more than 200,000 Karen have been driven from their homes during the decades of conflict,” (William Mitchell College of Law).
We were once unaware and now believe it is imperative to pass on what we have learned to others. When most students and individuals learn about other countries and cultures, they learn the name of the country, the capital, what they export, the longitude and latitude. What do they really learn about the human condition for their fellow humans in other parts of the world? When one utilizes Geographical Information Systems and geo browsers, it makes the other countries become more real. The people of the other countries become more than a picture on a map or a globe. The software allows for interactive maps. This technology allows us to see what is going on in real time and allows us to be very aware of current genocidal behavior throughout the world. It can also allow us to learn from past genocides. We should do more than just talk about genocide. We need to apply the beliefs of Joseph Kirman who said that history and geography are tied together. He recommends three guiding principles for transformative geography: “critical thinking, decision-making (discussion), and action.”
“In April 2011, associates for World without Genocide played a critical role in the unanimous passage of Resolution No. 144, designating April as Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month in Minnesota,”( William Mitchell College of Law, 2012). According to William Mitchell College of Law, Minnesota is only “the third state in the nation to have achieved this designation for April.” Please help us to get all fifty states on board to create April as Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month.
We ask for your assistance. Please write, call, email, or visit your government officials within your state. Our website lists various volunteer and paid open positions, as well as, an address where you can make donations. If everyone makes a small effort we will be able to make a big difference to make Americans more aware of an ongoing worldwide situation that could at any day happen here. We need everyone to advocate against genocide so that together we can eliminate this violent and unnecessary crime.