Here Around the Globe
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1 The World Without Genocide Op-Ed Collection Ellen J. Kennedy, Ph.D., Executive Director, Contributor Chloe Elias Morse, Benjamin B. Ferencz Young Fellow, Contributor Jacob Simpson, Research and Advocacy Associate, Contributor, Editor Sejla Ceric, Programs and Operations Director, Editor Ryan Smet, Intern Assistant 2 The World Without Genocide Op-Ed Collection Preface ‘Op-eds,’ shorthand for ‘opposite from the editorial page,’ are newspaper commentaries written by members of the public who have interesting, expert, or controversial opinions on key issues of the day. A 2018 study in the Quarterly Journal of Political Science found that readers’ views are shaped and influenced by a paper’s op-ed pieces. At World Without Genocide, we use this important public forum to inform people about mass atrocities and other human rights challenges occurring locally, nationally, and globally. This book is a compilation of our many commentaries over the past few years that raise awareness about the genocides perpetrated against the Rohingya in Myanmar, the Uyghurs in China, and conflicts elsewhere around the globe. We encourage people to advocate for policies to protect innocent people, prosecute perpetrators, and remember those whose lives and cultures have been affected by genocide. We hope this collection will inspire readers to write their own op-eds on today’s critical events. 3 Table of Contents Genocides and Conflicts ......................................................................................................... 5 Stand up to Hate ............................................................................................................................6 Where innocents are targeted, the global community must respond ................................................................. 6 In Poland, hate is spreading against LGBTQ, Jews, Muslims ................................................................................ 9 We cannot allow hate to flourish ....................................................................................................................... 13 Blood diamonds, conflict minerals and chocolate ............................................................................................. 16 Young survivors of the worst horror .................................................................................................................. 18 The Armenian Genocide ............................................................................................................... 20 Genocide over and over again: From the Armenians to the Syrians ................................................................. 20 The Bosnian Genocide .................................................................................................................. 23 A funeral for 775 people .................................................................................................................................... 23 China and the Uyghurs ................................................................................................................. 25 China, Tibet, and the Uighurs: a pattern of genocide ........................................................................................ 25 High-tech genocides: From the Jews to the Uyghurs ......................................................................................... 28 Persecution of Uighurs must be opposed .......................................................................................................... 32 East Timor ................................................................................................................................... 35 In East Timor, a story of terrible tragedy gives way to a future of hope ........................................................... 35 The Holocaust .............................................................................................................................. 37 ‘My grandfather was a Nazi’: Taking responsibility for the past ........................................................................ 37 We must end the legacy of Auschwitz ............................................................................................................... 39 Where is Anne Frank? ........................................................................................................................................ 42 Counterpoint: Yes, 1940s Britain did take in refugees ....................................................................................... 45 Holocaust anniversaries: We must remember, and do more ............................................................................ 48 Remembering the Holocaust ............................................................................................................................. 51 Holocaust education should strive to prevent future genocides ....................................................................... 53 Myanmar and the Rohingya ......................................................................................................... 55 Jews to Madagascar, Rohingya to Bhasan Char ................................................................................................. 55 If you see something, say something. And then what? ..................................................................................... 58 The Rwandan Genocide ................................................................................................................ 61 Story of Rwandan genocide shows how easily the human tide can turn .......................................................... 61 International Justice and Freedoms ..................................................................................... 63 U.S. needs the impetus, leadership, and commitment for positive peace ........................................................ 64 Detention, injury, even death: the price of a free press .................................................................................... 68 Nicosia: Peace advocates in a divided city ......................................................................................................... 71 The ICC: prosecuting the worst perpetrators in the world ................................................................................ 73 Nuremberg's legacy lives on in a world determined to prosecute the worst of crimes .................................... 76 In Sudan, a vote for independence .................................................................................................................... 78 U.S. and Domestic Issues ..................................................................................................... 80 Protecting Human Rights .............................................................................................................. 81 On U.S. internment camps’ lessons — and the Supreme Court’s evolution on the law .................................... 81 Statewide View: Election protection includes countering voter intimidation ................................................... 84 Protect our kids from Betsy DeVos .................................................................................................................... 87 National View: Heed the warning coming from Auschwitz to the US ................................................................ 90 Child, not bride: Minnesota should outlaw marriage under age 18 .................................................................. 92 4 We must curb the use of torture – and hold medical professionals accountable ............................................. 94 ‘We Charge Genocide’: Still, no justice .............................................................................................................. 97 Responsibility for human rights: 'Sovereignty' is a cop-out for turning away from global needs ................... 100 To head off future bullies, we have to turn bystanders into upstanders ........................................................ 102 April as Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month .................................................................. 104 April, the cruelest month: Minnesota remembers, and seeks to prevent future genocide ............................ 104 Why April's the right month for genocide awareness ..................................................................................... 107 COVID-19 ................................................................................................................................... 110 Cancer, COVID, and me .................................................................................................................................... 110 We must end the fallout from COVID-19: xenophobia and hate ..................................................................... 112 On 761 days, Anne Frank, and the circle of responsibility ............................................................................... 115 LGBT+ Rights .............................................................................................................................. 118 Minnesota must ban the 'gay panic' defense .................................................................................................. 118 Transgender rights: There is still no smooth path ........................................................................................... 121 Native American Rights .............................................................................................................