Abstract
Whenever we hear an account by a survivor, we are faced with a new reality. As Elie Wiesel once remarked: ‘Whoever listens to a witness becomes a witness. We then no longer have the luxury of silence or indifference. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian executed by the Nazis, put it well when he said: ‘not to speak is to speak, not to act, is to act. And it really is impossible to hear the stories and testimonies of witnesses and to believe that life can go on just as before.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
‘I believe firmly and profoundly that whoever listens to a witness becomes a witness, so those who hear us, those who read us must continue to bear witness for us. Until now, they’re doing it with us. At a certain point in time, they will do it for all of us.’ Elie Wiesel.
- 2.
‘Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.’ Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
- 3.
Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro) Judgment 2007.
- 4.
‘Risk assessment focuses on the general structural elements of a society that affect its likelihood of experiencing significant human rights violations. These elements may include, inter alia, political regime type (e.g. autocratic, democratic), prior history of political instability, degree of integration into the global economy, and levels of state-led discrimination.’ Ernesto Verdeja, ‘Predicting Genocide and Mass Atrocities’ (2016) 9 Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal 3: 14.
- 5.
‘Early warning focuses on the mid- and short-term factors that make violence likely. This includes attempts to identify the escalation of instability and whether it may tip into large-scale, sustained violence.’ Ernesto Verdeja, ‘Predicting Genocide and Mass Atrocities’ (2016) 9 Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal 3: 23.
- 6.
‘It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. As Minister for Human Rights, I made clear in my address to the UN Human Rights Council on 24 August, the UK is committed to protecting the human rights of all Afghan people. This commitment extends to all ethnic and religious groups, including the Hazara community. The UK also led work on the recent UN Security Council resolution 2593, which made clear the Security Council’s intent to Taliban actions, including their respect for human rights.’ HL Deb, 29 September 2021, cW.
- 7.
Recommendation 7 of the Bishop of Truro Review. Available at: https://christianpersecutionreview.org.uk/recommendations/.
- 8.
The White House, A National Security Strategy for a New Century (1997). Available at: https://nssarchive.us/NSSR/1997.pdf.
- 9.
Samantha Power, ‘Bystanders to Genocide’ (September 2001) The Atlantic 106.
- 10.
Ibid.
- 11.
Madeleine K. Albright and William S. Cohen, Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for US Policymakers (2008). Available at: https://www.ushmm.org/m/pdfs/20081124-genocide-prevention-report.pdf.
- 12.
Ibid.
- 13.
The White House Office of the Press Secretary, Presidential Study Directive on Mass Atrocities (4 August 2011). Available at: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/08/04/presidential-study-directive-mass-atrocities.
- 14.
Ibid.
- 15.
Executive Order No. 13,729, 81 Federal Regulation 32,611 (18 May 2016). Available at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/05/23/2016-12307/a-comprehensive-approach-to-atrocity-prevention-and-response.
- 16.
- 17.
Ibid.
- 18.
- 19.
Sarah B. and Philipp R. ‘Germany’s Politics and Bureaucracy for Preventing Atrocities’ (2018) Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal 20.
- 20.
- 21.
Ibid.
- 22.
Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
- 23.
- 24.
The Auschwitz Institute, National Mechanisms for the Prevention of Genocide and other Atrocity Crimes: Effective and Sustainable Prevention Begins at Home (2015). Available at: http://www.auschwitzinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/AIPR_National_Mech_Booklet_2015.pdf.
- 25.
- 26.
United Nations, Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes—A tool for prevention, 2014. Available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/548afd5f4.html.
- 27.
See Appendix A.
- 28.
See: OSCE. Early Warning and Early Action. Available at: www.osce.org/secretariat/107485.
- 29.
See: EU Policy and Planning Unit, The Early Warning and Conflict Prevention Capability of the Council of the European Union. Available at: www.ifp-ew.eu/pdf/0611prelisbon.pdf.
- 30.
See: African Union, Continental Early Warning System. Available at: www.peaceau.org/uploads/early-warning-system-1.pdf.
- 31.
See for example: Ernesto Verdeja, ‘Predicting Genocide and Mass Atrocities’ (2016) 9 Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal 3: 13–32.
- 32.
See Appendix B.
- 33.
Erin Rosenberg, Presentation on 9th December 2020.
- 34.
Dutch Government’s letter of 22 December 2017. Available at: https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2018/01/netherlands-joins-un-security-council-shine-light-genocide/.
- 35.
Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v Serbia and Montenegro), 2007 Judgment, 431.
- 36.
- 37.
- 38.
- 39.
UK House of Commons, Trade Bill, Division 202, 19 January 2021. Available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-01-19/division/DF685BE5-5E28-4897-AE8C-035334045CB1/TradeBill?outputType=Names.
- 40.
House of Commons Deb, 19 January 2021, c1086.
- 41.
See: Chapter 2, Sect. 1.3.
- 42.
UN GA, PPCG, December 1948.
- 43.
As cited in Samantha Power, A Problem from Hell: America in the Age of Genocide (Flamingo, 2010) 377.
- 44.
As cited by Waging Peace. See: https://wagingpeace.info/activities/atrocity-prevention/.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ochab, E.U., Alton, D. (2022). Why Are They Getting Away with Genocide?. In: State Responses to Crimes of Genocide. Rethinking Political Violence. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99162-3_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99162-3_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-99161-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-99162-3
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)