...Genocide Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Introduction The term genocide refers to the mass murder of a specific race or tribe or group of people with the sole intention of eliminating the said group. As the world came to realize with the discrimination of Jews by the Nazi forces, genocide does not sit on the same bench as other crimes such as burglary. The spirited effort towards the elimination of a single race or tribe is the driving force of this heinous crime. It is said “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. At the centre of genocide, power and resources are usually the propagators of this vice. In a state in which the availability and distribution of resources is anything short of equal, negative ethnic traits such as tribalism, nepotism and even clanism, in other cases, can easily result in the onset of genocide. Greed is also a consistent feature of many genocide-stricken states. The more worrying issue, apart from the killing of millions of innocent civilians, is the prejudice with which many of the leaders of these factions plan and coordinate these atrocities. The notion that leaders are well above the law is characteristic of states that have felt the iron grip of genocide. The case of Darfur is one of the most disheartening. Darfur has been embroiled in the throes of genocide for the better part of the 21st Century. Having been the first genocide of the 21st Century, the mention of Darfur does not resonate well on the global landscape. Upon...
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...Crisis in Darfur: An Educational Simulation July 10, 2009 U.S. Diplomacy Center Department of State PARTICIPANT BACKGROUND GUIDE INTRODUCTION: “CRISIS IN DARFUR” Whether the murder, rape, pillage, and displacement of tens of thousands in the Darfur region of Sudan is labeled a tragedy, or civil war, or ethnic cleansing, or genocide “in slow motion” 1, the world can’t ignore what is going on in western Sudan. According to the UN, over 2.1 million people are believed to have left their homes, and up to 70,000 have been killed. Other estimates put the death toll higher, up to 400,000. International media has only limited access due to the remoteness and instability in this vast region the size of France. So we don’t see all the day to day details of suffering as we did, for example, in late 1998 in Kosovo. Those images and reports helped trigger UN ultimatums and eventual NATO intervention in 1999. After the Holocaust, the world said “never again” should we stand by and watch while millions are slaughtered. After the Cambodian genocide of the 1970s, after the Rwandan genocide of 1994, and after the mass killings in Srebrenica in Bosnia in 1995, the world also stood by, and then said “never again.” And now we have Darfur. Thus Darfur can be seen as a profound test of the credibility of the international community: the United Nations, the international NGO community, the African Union, and citizens and governments around the world. Is there the will to act in Darfur or will we stand...
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...either against the continued European cultural and political predominance, while others worked with European powers in order to maintain an economically and politically stable state. As the success of each nation and region of Africa widely varied after their independence, their progress also varied. Unfortunately, some are still struggling to overcome these crucial instabilities preventing them from being at peace within their own state, and internationally. By examining Sudan and the decades leading up to its current political, social, and economic state, this paper will highlight the ways in which colonialism has effectively shaped the state's current context. It will give an overview of the current conflict in the western region of Darfur within Sudan's political instability, civil wars, and crisis of identity. More specifically, it will aim at showing how colonialism left the state of Sudan...
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...Running head: Midterm Examination M4A1: Midterm Examination James Hallihan Ethnic Conflict and Genocide Theory: In the case of Bosnia, choose the most important theoretical aspect (primordial, constructivist, instrumental, modernization) that you find most helpful in your understanding of the conflict. What does this approach illuminate to you that you find so important and how might it direct you towards one or other levels of analysis? In looking at the Bosnian conflict the most important aspect of the conflict was social constructivism. The definition of Social constructivism is “identities are molded, refabricated, and mobilized in accord with reigning cultural scripts and centers of power”(Cerulo, 1997, p.387). In Bosnia there were three major ethnic groups fighting for control of Bosnia: 1. Serbs- The Serbian people are Orthodox Christians 2. Croats- The Croatian people are Catholic Christians 3. Bosniaks- The Bosniaks are Muslim The two main actors in this conflict originally came from Croatia and Serbia which were all part of Yugoslavia and Russian controlled at one point in time. There is some primordialism overtones in this conflict however, “it is almost impossible for people in the region to trace the ethnic line of most inhabitants”(Jesse &Williams, 2011, p.146), and due to intermarriage between the Croats and Serbians in the region, there are no “physical differences among people of different ethnic origins”(Harvey, 2000, pp.42-43)...
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...|HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION | |INTRODUCTION | Humanitarian intervention poses a hard test for any international society built on principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, and the non-use of force. Immediately after the Holocaust, the society of states established laws prohibiting genocide, forbidding the mistreatment of civilians, and recognizing basic human rights. These humanitarian principles often conflict with principles of sovereignty and non-intervention. Sovereign states are expected to act as guardians of their citizens’ security, but what happens if states behave as criminals towards their own people, treating sovereignty as a licence to kill? Should tyrannical states be recognized as legitimate members of international society and accorded the protection afforded by the non-intervention principle? Or, should states forfeit their sovereign rights and be exposed to legitimate intervention if they actively abuse or fail to protect their citizens? Related to this, what responsibilities do other states or institutions have to enforce human rights norms against governments that massively violate them? Armed humanitarian intervention was not a legitimate practice during the cold war because states placed more...
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...Genocide Foundations Name Institution Affiliation Date Genocide Foundations Introduction Over the years, genocide studies receive positive and negative influences from both the cultural and political contexts. The two contexts have extensively influenced the view of genocide. The major view of genocide is that it is a domestic occurrence of states. On a literal perspective, various authors have contributed to the subject of genocide. The assignment looks to extensively explore the foundations of genocide based on book reviews. The paper will provide an in-depth analysis and reviews of three books on genocide, What is Genocide by Martin Shaw, Centuries of Genocide by Totten and On the nature of genocidal intent by Campbell. Shaw, M. (2007). What is Genocide? Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN: 0745631827. Martin Shaw’s takes up the subject of defining genocide in all contexts. Through the book, What is Genocide, Shaw seeks to address two major issues related to genocide definition. • Unchanging definition of genocide • Reasons and need for changing definition of genocide Modern comprehension of the genocide ideology arises from a historical and contemporary viewpoint. It is evident over the years that the definition of genocide has undergone minimal change. In the book, the author offers key reasons for the unchanging definition of genocide while at the same time offering major reasons...
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...of Sudan which consists of a majority of Muslims has focused the war on the Africans of Darfur region of Sudan. These Africans have had the control of some of the most fertile grazing lands and oil reserves in all of Sudan. Unfortunately over the past two decades, persistent droughts have forced the Arabs to migrate to more arable land, though having strained their relations with the Africans[1]. When the Arabs and the Africans started coexisting, fights broke out between them over lands and the Arabs became violent. Massacres and rebellions were a commonplace scenario between both the sides. The situation worsened when Sudan government sided with the Arabs and the government and military groups of Janjaweed(“devils on horsebacks”) began fighting the insurgents and the citizens of Darfur. It dint take very long for this to turn into genocide, also known as ethnic cleansing. The cleansing stopped focusing just on citizens and insurgents and started targeting certain ethnicities such as the Africans and the Christians. INTRODUCTION On the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, another human catastrophe is rapidly accelerating despite full knowledge of the United Nations and Western democracies. In April, a U.N. team investigating human rights abuses in the far western Darfur region of Sudan found “disturbing patterns of massive human rights violations in Darfur, many of which may constitute war crimes and/or crimes against humanity.” Based on interviews...
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...Jennifer Doncan Senior Inquiry Per.1/2 Movies Analysis #1 due November 8, 2010 Avatar Written/Directed by James Cameron Director, screenwriter, and producer - James Cameron – has created another blockbuster movie, Avatar, to add to his incredible list of phenomenal top-grossing films. Avatar is in the company of movies such as Terminator, Titanic, Aliens, and Spider-Man: all crowd-pleasing, award-winning, top-selling films written, produced, or directed by James Cameron. Avatar is based on a script Cameron first wrote in 1994 and is the first big budget action film to be shot in 3D, using revolutionary camera technology Cameron developed. This film earned over $1 billion in its first three weekends. The story-line is simple and timely. In the year 2154, the fictional RDA Corporation (from earth) attempts to move the Na’vi, an alien race on the distant planet Pandora, off of their land to mine for a valuable mineral called unobtanium. RDA Corporation partners with earth mercenaries. These mercenaries are a back-up, in case the RDA Corporation science project - using avatars (Na’vi-human hybrids developed and managed by Grace Augustine/Sigourney Weaver) - fails to accomplish the task peacefully. Na’vi are colorful blue-skinned humanoids, who live in harmony with nature and worship their mother earth goddess Eywa, embodied in huge, luscious trees. This action/science fiction/thriller narrative features Jake sully/Sam Worthington and Neytiri/Zoe Saldana. Jake...
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...Global Community Failure to Eradicate Genocide Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract When it comes to global criminology, the subject is fatal in the sense of reprisals accustomed to it. In any case, international criminal activities are largely based geopolitical factors rather than the genuine purpose of ending human to human barbarism. This paper will attempt to prove that ‘global community’ commitment to end genocide events is categorically challenged by lack of sufficient devotion to ‘the pledge’ to eradicate the vice. The paper is structured into three main parts and one secondary part. The background will attempt to examine the scholarly effort attempting to relate the basis of global community pledge and the general act of genocide. A further sub category of this part will introduce the role played by United Nations in minimizing genocide. The second section will be substantial in analyzing past genocide events; courtesy of three relevant examples, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Rwanda. In this section, the document will examine the various roles played by United Nations in fueling the genocide. The third section will examine 21 century events, and how United Nations has chosen a back player in preventing the occurrences of these genocides. The secondary section will attempt to examine the role played by International Criminal Court and how it has been challenged in limiting genocide events. Background Research has attempted relate the end of the holocaust and the emergence...
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...resources . China has established Confucius Institutes (state-funded Chinese Cultural Centers) that have sprung up throughout Africa, teaching local people the culture and traditions. One wonders if China is positioning itself for taking over supremacy and advancing her Soft Policy in Africa. It is perhaps important to see our languages and cultures going out there too. The China- Africa Cooperation which was aimed at strengthening China’s diplomatic and political ties stared in post colonial Africa. The African plight of political freedom from their colonies, referred to as aggressors according to the Chinese and their desire to have a say in the international arena has given the Chinese a reason to defend their being in Africa. The analysis of the Beijing Consensus verses the Washington Consensus scores some marks for the Chinese in African’s aspirations. The Chinese economic engagement in Africa, the impact of ideational affirmative and geo-economic interests came with some salient...
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...Failed and weak states are posing greater security threats to the world than it were ever imagined. The collapse of autonomy and sovereignty among states is therefore a susceptible situation in the modern world. Developed states like the United States and other notable security sensitive nations are focusing their security efforts towards the failed states. This is mainly because these weak states have become breeding sites for criminal activities, and terrorist groups have established strong bases in such countries. The challenges posed by these failed states on security issues are far-reaching, and reliable measures have to be taken in order to safeguard the safety of the global population. Many forms of transnational security threats have emerged, and international peace has persistently been compromised by this trend. Solomon Islands, Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan are good examples of failed countries that have contributed in several ways to transnational insecurity (Wyler, 2010). This essay explores the issue of transnational security threats from failed states. In detail, this paper illustrates the specific security challenges that failed states have posed on the traditional security concerns in the world. While the failure of states is attributed to struggles for political liberalism, the lack of sovereignty and autonomy are the major factors contributing to collapse in some states (Bar-Joseph. 2001). Fragile or failed states are defined as nations which face extreme...
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...2009 > hot topics 69 TOPICS HOT L e g a L i s s u e s i n p L a i n L a n g u a g e This is the sixty-ninth in the series Hot Topics: legal issues in plain language, published by the Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC). Hot Topics aims to give an accessible introduction to an area of law that is the subject of change or public debate. International law 1 overview What is international law? – difference between international law and domestic law – Why do States obey international law? – subjects of international law – How do international law and domestic law interact? 4 sources of international law Jus cogens – international conventions and treaties – Australian treaty practice – custom – general principles of law – judicial decisions and writings of publicists – ‘hard law’ and ‘soft law’. 8 states What is a State? – rights of States – self-determination – creation and recognition of new States – case studies. AUTHOR NOTE: Jane Stratton currently leads corporate social responsibility programs in a leading Sydney law firm, teaches law students at a Sydney university and independently, undertakes community development projects in Western Sydney. Her work has included legal and policy roles in the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, the Australian Human Rights Commission, UN High Commission for Refugees and the ICTY. She has experience in litigious and political advocacy. Jane holds qualifications in law (Honours)...
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...Research Paper: Final On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda, hijacked four American planes and executed pre-engineered terrorist attacks against various targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown directly into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third plane then hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, DC, and the fourth and final plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Now referred to as 9/11, the attacks resulted in extensive destruction, over 3000 merciless deaths in New York City and Washington, and triggered the driving force behind major US initiatives to combat terrorism. Also, may view this horrific event as a defining moment in the presidency of George W. Bush. The first strike was on the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 11, a Boeing 747 carrying 76,000 pounds of jet fuel and 92 passengers, was overtaken by five Arabic passengers, that was later discovered to have worked directly with al-Qaida leader, Osama bin Laden to both plan and give life to this attack. At 7:40 am the flight departed from Boston as normal, the flight maintained its course for the first thirteen minutes. Following this, the crew was not acknowledging communications with the FAA. Several attempts were made to communicate with the crew but no reply was received, with the exception of the sound of static and was thought to be a scream. Connection was finally made at 8:18am to Cary, North Carolina...
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...rules that will allow it to review the substantive matter (legal issues at stake). Disputes involving a private individual or company usually end up in a domestic court of a state. 3-1 © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc publishing as Prentice Hall Disputes between states 3-2 © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc publishing as Prentice Hall Are taken to an international tribunal, such as the ICJ (International Court of Justice) or the dispute resolution panel of the World Trade Organization (if both states are members) and the matter involves a trade in goods issue. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a court of last resort which tries persons accused of the most serious crimes against humanity (crimes such as genocide). Settlement of Disputes in International Tribunals International Court of Justice International Criminal Court World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Procedures 3-3 © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc publishing as Prentice Hall 4 © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc publishing as Prentice Hall 1 3/7/2016 ICJ Jurisdiction International Court of Justice Principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It has jurisdiction to hear: • Disputes between states pursuant to its contentious jurisdiction. • Cases from organs and specialized agencies of the UN pursuant to its advisory jurisdiction. No power to hear cases involving individuals....
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...If you were to look at a history of global economics over the years, you would find that many countries achieve (and sometimes fall from) economic superpower status. Examples of such countries include the U.S, the U.K, and Japan. The most current countries to join that list are India and China. However, whether they stay that way has yet to be seen. The Elephant and the Dragon written by Robyn Meredith takes a look at both countries’ rise to economic superpower status, and how it affects us now as well as the future. To achieve this Meredith begins with a recent history of each of the countries by examining the political and social factors related to the each of the countries’ rise. This is followed with a look into some of the economic similarities and differences between India and China as well as how the reforms both countries have in place affect U.S businesses and citizens. Through this process Meredith truly gives a truly complete experience with past, present and future analyzed. Unfortunately, there are certain areas of the book where issues with the material and Meredith’s interpretation arise. The first two chapters in The Elephant and the Dragon delve into the pasts of China and India, and the policies that made their growth possible. Meredith begins her look into China by looking at the effects of Mao’s rule. A major point that is brought up is Mao’s policy to collectivize farming. The policy to collectivize farming resulted in a 40% drop in agricultural production...
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