NEXT STEPS TOWARD GENOCIDE PREVENTION

PLENARY PANEL

DR. CAROL RITTNER RSM (CHAIRPERSON, TRACK 4)

THE RICHARD STOCKTON COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY (USA) AND EDITOR OF THE AEGIS REVIEW

Your Highness, Mr. Prime Minister, Standing between prevention and the long term, we risk the explosion of Honorable Guests, Ladies and prosecution is intervention, but the potentially negative consequences for Gentlemen: I, too, would like to thank genocidal debacles in the Balkans and society. As Dr. James Smith of The Prime Minister Person and the Swedish Rwanda, not to mention the continuing Aegis Trust in the United Kingdom government for convening the 2004 mass killings in Nigeria, Sudan, and pointed, there is a very real danger Forum, "Preventing Genocide: Threats Congo, are scarcely causes for "that the roles of perpetrators and and Responsibilities." Th© speeches optimism where intervention is victims [will] become reversed in the and statements have been impressive; concerned. Today we know that struggle for new identity and personal the input from scholars and forceful intervention in Bosnia and security."3 practitioners, thoughtful; and, the Rwanda could have prevented the Esther Mujavajo, herself a survivor discussion during the various workshop worst offenses in those regions. of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, sessions provocative, but speeches and Of course regrets have been expressed movingly, poignantly, and angrily told statements, papers, and discussion about the failure to intervene• us how, at the height of the killings, the about genocide prevention are not everyone from former American French and the Belgians evacuated enough. We must move from words to President Bill Clinton to current United their nationals, including their deeds. Nations General Kofi Anan, and others, I'm sure, have expressed nationals' dogs and cats, but would not Based on the presentations and such regrets- but such apologetic evacuate her three children, although discussions in Track 4, "Creating hindsight does nothing for the she begged them to do so. Today, Ms. Awareness: Education, Media, murdered and relatively little to Mugavajo, one of the founders of Memory," the following are my encourage confidence in survivors, or, if AVEGA, the Widows' organization in suggestions regarding "Next Steps I may say so, in those who are Rwanda, works with women and Toward Genocide Prevention." Allow potential victims of genocide, mass children in Rwanda, and in the me, however, to begin with a killings, and ethnic cleansing that the diaspora, including women and statement: world's response to genocidal threats children who were infected with AIDS, and she told us how she is unable to Action on behalf of potential victims will be better "next time." obtain financial help- as little as of genocide, mass killings, and ethnic What, then, could inspire US$30 per person per month -to cleansing, and action on behalf of confidence in such people? Perhaps the obtain drugs for these women to help survivors of genocide, mass killings, following: keep them alive, but how some of the and ethnic cleansing are constituent First, If you want to prevent major donor nations, including, no dimensions of genocide prevention. genocide, protect women and children. doubt, and Belgium, and I am Genocide, mass death, and ethnic Governments must recognize that sure, my own , help to cleansing are not on the decline, either "When the killing stops, the genocide is "support the care" of the suspected in incidence or scale. In more ways genocidaires awaiting trial by the not over."' The consequences of than one, genocide's perpetrators have genocide "are severe, long term and International Criminal Tribunal for the upper hand: Tribunals prosecute Rwanda (ICTR) and who are being held complex.''' It is when the killing stops perpetrators of genocide after the fact, in the over-crowded Rwandan prisons. that the most important phrase of if at all. If the courts are to be a prevention begins- that is, the credible deterrent, they have to act Aside from the moral issue, this rehabilitation of victims and their swiftly, thoroughly, and decisively. Such kind of long-term post-genocide neglect societies. In this phase of prevention - of survivors of the genocide fosters things are easier said than done. and make no mistake about it, it is a resentment in them and surely does not Early warning systems and other phase of prevention -action on behalf contribute either to their rehabilitation, preventative measures try to anticipate of the rehabilitation of victims and their their re-humanization, or their re• the worst before it happens, but their societies is more than important; it is conciliation with members of the Hutu effectiveness thus far has been more in crucial, for if we do not care for the community in Rwanda. I suspect the the realm of hope than fact. victims, in both the short term and in same thing is true in former Yugoslavia: long-term, practical neglect of so many It was in this sense, for example, These then are my suggestions thousands of women who were raped, the U.N. General Assembly regarding Next Steps to the Prevention forcibly impregnated, and, in many unanimously adopted resolution of Genocide: instances, infected with AIDS and are 58/234, on 23 December 2003, 1. If you want to prevent genocide, now dying by inches because they designating 7 of April this year as protect women and children; cannot afford the drugs to fight their the International Day of Reflection disease, and no one seems to care. to commemorate the victims of the 2. If men want to prevent genocide, 1994 genocide in Rwanda.' they should organize and convene a Second Suggestion: If the men of high level, high profile conference this world want to prevent genocide, I My strong suggestion is that if the about why they use rape as a suggest some men organize a high• wants to prevent genocide, weapon of genocide and how they level, high profile conference for men this recommendation should be shared can stop it; and, about why men use rape as a weapon with every in of genocide. communion with the Holy See and the 3. If the Vatican wants to prevent Pope, John Paul II, put the full weight genocide, the Pope, John Paul II, As Professor Melissa Raphael of his moral authority behind should immediately move to support pointed out in her option paper persuading every bishop in every a day of reflection to commemorate prepared for Track IV, "... it is now the victims of the 1994 genocide in recognized that rape is not 'merely' the diocese in every country throughout the world to encourage the Catholic Rwanda and persuade every Roman private 'off-duty' crime of soldiers people in his diocese to do exactly Catholic bishop in every Catholic relieving their sexual frustration (as was what is stated in the United Nation's diocese in the world to do likewise. assumed during the Nuremberg trials resolution and in Archbishop Migliore's and until the late 20th century mass Thank you. statement: "to educate individuals and rape of Muslim women in former communities, not only on the horrors of Yugoslavia and Tutsi women in genocide, not only to oppose it, but Rwanda)."• above all, to prevent it from occurring Rape is not a woman's problem, it again." is a man's problem, and it is men who As we know, religion can be a should ask Why? What can be done to powerful and persuasive force in Notes stop such violent behavior of men genocide prevention. The negative against women? and, How can we 'Stephen Smith as quoted in James examples of Rwanda, former [men] change? Smith, "Dealing with the Aftermath• Yugoslavia, and the Holocaust bear Breaking the Cycle of Hatred and The 2004 Stockholm Forum should witness to this claim, for virtually all Violence." Stockholm International lead to action by men to stop other analysts of those genocides are Forum 2004 Option Papers, p. 37. men from such behavior at any time convinced that they could have been but most especially in a time of conflict, prevented, or stopped, or at least zlbid. war, and genocide. It is men who ameliorated, if strong religious protests elbid, pp. 35-36. should be in the forefront of advocating against the genocides had been raised. for long-term, post-genocide care for •Melissa Raphael, "Research on Religion can separate people; it can the victims of such male behavior. Genocide and Sexual Violence." legitimate violence that is genocidal. Stockholm International Forum 2004 3. Suggestion number three But, if the quality of religious life Option Papers, p. 43. regarding next steps for the prevention improves by becoming less exclusive of genocide picks up on the statement and more inclusive, so will the odds in ,27 January 2004 Statement by made by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, favour of genocide prevention. I Archbishop Celestino Migliore (Holy the Vatican's Permanent Observer at applaud Archbishop Migliore and his See) at the Stockholm International the . He said, statement, which I am sure was made Forum 2004, p. 3.

... my delegation wishes to with the full knowledge and support of underscore ... our duty to educate the Vatican, but like all of our individuals and communities not resolutions, statements, discussions only on the horrors of genocide, not and suggestions, it must move from only to oppose it, but above all, to words to actions. prevent it from occurring again. A lot has already been learned about genocide. But educating all about its evil is a perennial and ever- timely duty incumbent upon us all.

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