What is Genocide?
The word genocide is derived from the Greek term geno, which means race or tribe, and the Latin word cide, which means killing. Genocide is a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of essential foundations of the lives of national groups to annihilate the groups themselves. Genocide is a recognized international crime that occurs when acts are carried out to eradicate a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group entirely or partially. These actions may be divided into five groups:
- Murdering group members.
- Causing members of the group to suffer severe physical or psychological injury.
- Purposefully causing the collective conditions of existence to be such that they are physically destroyed in whole or in part.
- Enforcing policies meant to stop births within the group.
- Forcing the group’s children to be transferred to another group.
- Numerous other violent, significant acts do not meet the criteria for being classified as genocide. Mass murder, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and crimes against humanity are among them.
Key Takeaways
- Genocide is the purposeful and organized extermination of a group of people due to that group’s race, nationality, religion, or ethnicity.
- A specific national, ethnic, racial, or religious group is the target of genocide. The offenders regard this group as undesirable or a threat, and they want to destroy them.
- The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948) has proved to be a cornerstone for tackling genocide cases.
- Genocide falls under the larger category of “crimes against humanity” under modern international law, which was established by the Nürnberg Charter, the charter of the International Military Tribunal.
Table of Content
- Genocide as Crime under International Law and US Law
- Challenges in Investigating and Prosecuting Genocide Cases
- Challenges and Opportunities for US Leadership in Genocide Prevention
- Conclusion
- Genocide- FAQs
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