Stepping Deeper…
The Uighur people are a population of about 12 million mostly Muslim people who see themselves as ethnically Central Asian. They live mostly in Xinjiang, in northwestern China. The Chinese government persecutes the Uyghurs for their faith, and seeks to “re-educate” them. They built detention centers where at least one million Uighurs have been interned since 2017 in more than 85 identified camps.
— Who are the Uighurs and why is the US accusing China of genocide? – BBC News
The Syrian conflict started in 2011, after the Arab Spring across the Middle East and North Africa led to peaceful pro-democracy protests. The Syrian government responded with violence, killing and arbitrary imprisonment of civilians. This led to a war that continues today. About half a million people have been killed since the war began, and 6.2 million are internally displaced within Syria.
—Syria’s Civil War Has Become a Genocide – World Policy
In August 2017, a crackdown by Myanmar’s army on Rohingya Muslims sent thousands fleeing to Bangladesh. The UN ordered the Buddhist majority country to protect members of its Rohingya community from genocide, but the army in Myanmar has not complied, and denies claims of genocide.
—Myanmar Rohingya: What you need to know about the crisis – BBC News
A deadly war in Darfur dating back to 2003 when black Africans from Darfur rebelled against the country’s Arab Muslim leadership demanding improved conditions precipitated a raging campaign from the Arab government. 1 in 3 people in South Sudan have been displaced, and more than 4 million have fled their homes. Those who could not flee are trapped in side the nation and fear for their lives every day.
—World Report 2019: South Sudan | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org):
Darfur genocide refers to the current mass slaughter and rape of Darfuri men, women and children in Western Sudan. The killings began in 20-03 and became the earliest documented genocide in the 21st century. Unrest and violence persist today. It is carried out buy a group of government-funded Arab militias who loot and burn Darfuri villages and abuse , murder and rape the inhabitants. As of spring 2020, over 480,000 victims had been identified, and more that 2.8 million people are displaced.
—Sudan – Darfur « World Without Genocide – Making It Our Legacy
China Uyghur Persecution
BBC World News Article describing persecution of the Uighur people: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037
New York Times article about U.S. declaration of genocide: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/trump-china-xinjiang.html
Syria
World Policy article describing how Civil War became genocide: http://worldpolicy.org/2013/09/16/syrias-civil-war-has-become-a-genocide/
Mercy Corps article with facts about the Syrian crisis: https://www.mercycorps.org/blog/quick-facts-syria-crisis
Rohingya in Myanmar
BBC article about Myanmar Rohingya: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41566561
Human Rights Watch article: https://www.hrw.org/tag/rohingya
South Sudan
Human Rights Watch article: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/south-sudan
World Without Genocide article: http://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/sudan
Darfur
World Genocide article: http://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/darfur-genocide
Holocaust Museum Houston article (very informative and readable): https://hmh.org/library/research/genocide-in-darfur-guide/
Other:
United Nations office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect: https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml
Milgram experiment – Wikipedia
Country Case Studies — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org)
Global Ministries calls for a return to democracy in Myanmar – Global Ministries (umcmission.org)
Taking Action…
Learn more about the Holocaust and other periods in history that we must learn important lessons from. Even if you may not be able to visit in person, many museums have extensive websites with in-depth information. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org) is extremely interesting, informative, and presents information in an engaging and easy to understand manner.
List of Holocaust memorials and museums in the United States – Wikipedia
Recognize and talk about the early warning signs (https://earlywarningproject.ushmm.org/)
United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) provides relief aid to refugees around the world.
Here’s how you can help: UMC Refugee aid – UMCOR Global Migration – Global Ministries (umcmission.org)
Sponsor a refugee family (https://www.family-to-family.org/help-a-hungry-family/sponsor-a-refugee
Take Action — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org):
What Can I Do?
Help the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide confront and stop threats of genocide. Action takes many forms, and every action counts. Find out more about places at risk of genocide or related crimes against humanity.
Join Our Community
Stay connected with the Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide to learn more about how you can help prevent genocide. Sign up to receive email updates and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Get Engaged in Your Community
Spread the world about what you’ve learned with friends, family, members of organizations you belong to, and coworkers.
Support Education and Relief Efforts
Support the Museum’s ongoing efforts to draw attention to places at risk of genocide or related crimes against humanity. Find out more about hard working organizations, what they’re doing, and how you can help them.
Contact the Media
Tell TV, radio, newspaper and Internet journalists that you want more and better coverage of places at risk of genocide or related crimes against humanity. Visit their websites, call them, and send emails providing feedback on their coverage.
Communicate with Decision Makers
Talk about the need to provide humanitarian assistance, protect civilians, stop the violence, and promote solutions to crises with your elected representatives.
Why Is Genocide Still Happening, And What Can We Do To Stop It | SodaCoffee Magazine (Ezine):
Signs of Hope…
Genocide continues to be a serious human rights issue. Some hear God’s voice, and take positive steps towards ending genocide. Here are a few steps in the right direction:
U.S. President Joe Biden formally declared China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims genocide in an annual human rights report on March 30, 2021. Naming and acknowledging the problem is a first step towards addressing it.
Memorials by genocide survivors mourn the past and admonish us to avoid behaviors that lead to genocide.
1. UNICEF reflected upon the genocide campaign against the Tutsi in Rwanda 26 years ago. Survivors told their stories and warned of “dangerous trends,” such as rising xenophobia and racism around the world.
2. Marking the 70th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the United Nations General Assembly warned against complacency. Giving the example of the Holocaust, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said his generation “believed that after the holocaust, we would never see genocide again. We were wrong.”
The Repbulika Srpska National Assembly in Bosnia and Herzegovina drew concern from the top USN experts on the Prevention of Genocide recently over their decision to revoke their endorsement of a 2004 report acknowledging genocide during the Bosnian war of the 1990s. This is a step backwards.
We wish we could say that genocide is decreasing, and God’s world is healing. Sadly, that is not the case. We must double down on our efforts. Educate our leaders. Assist the victims. Comfort the survivors, and most of all pray that God’s light might shine upon all impacted by this worldwide deadly practice.
The Worst Genocides In History – WorldAtlas
Twenty years after the Rwandan genocide, six lessons to remember – The Globe and Mail
Lessons Learned in Preventing and Responding to Mass Atrocities — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org)
Genocide studies – Wikipedia
in the 1990s, the field saw a tremendous growth in academic journals such as the Journal of Genocide Research, Genocide Studies and Prevention, and the German academic journal Zeitschrift für Genozidforschung (Journal of Genocide Research). The major reason for this increase in research can be traced back to the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s, which showed Western scholars the prevalence of genocide.[7]
Human Rights, Mass Atrocity Prevention and the United Nations Security Council: The Long Road Ahead | United Nations
Special thanks to Anna Bates for researching this social justice issue
Each station was researched by one or more members of our church community to help provide the detailed information that has been presented. Are you interested in this social justice issue? Do you have additional information or action items that you would like to share? If so, email us at newpaltzumc@gmail.com. These web pages are a dynamic, active work in progress, just like the people of our community!
