THE UNITEDNATIONS DEFINES GENOL IVC ED NATIONS DEFINES GENOC Directions Firs, examine the United Nations definition of genocide provide United Any of the following wets committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part is natic ethine, rivial or roligious group, such as a killing memberdeliberately milleting on the the group, b) saosing in group conditions of life valculated to bring about its player the proup c) forcibly d) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the groups e) forcibly transforring children of the group to another group to destroy" which is very difficult to prove Porexample, the government of Turkey claims that the death of over During the past half century, this definition has been difficult to apply for several reasons. It requires "intent one million Amenian men Women, and children occurred as a consequence of war not because of a deliberate anempt to exterminate people A second issue is that genocide iclimited to agrions against national ethnis, racial or religious groups ino Indonesians in the Were overwhelpseple who are vietnized who are victimized because of their in political activities such as the overwhelmingly ethnic Chinese, or people who are accused of participationsasesuat or women who are? mistreated Third, while mass munder is universally accepted as genocite the foreible transfer of children such as what happened to the children of imprisoned or excelled leftowing activits in Angentify in the 1980 is not. because each permanent member of the United Nations Security Council possesses a veto over council decisions, unless they all agree it is impossible for the United Nations to act against genocide. Task In your group complete the following steps: 1. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the definition and try to create a new definition that you believe could be more comprehensive 2. Select one example of genocide and show how your definition applies in this case. prevent genocide in the future.

1. Strengths and Weaknesses of the UN Definition **Strengths:** - Establishes clear international recognition of genocide as a crime. - Lists specific actions (killing, causing harm, preventing births, etc.) that define genocidal acts. - Emphasizes “intent to destroy,” which differentiates genocide from random mass violence. **Weaknesses:** - Proving *intent* is extremely difficult in real-world cases. - Restricts the definition to national, ethnic, racial, or religious groups — excluding political or social groups. - The UN Security Council veto often blocks intervention, limiting enforcement. ### 2. New Definition Proposal *A more comprehensive definition:* “Genocide is any coordinated act or policy, carried out by a government or organized group, intended to destroy or severely diminish the existence, identity, or vitality of a distinct national, ethnic, religious, cultural, political, or social group, whether through killing, forced displacement, cultural erasure, or other means of systematic harm.” ### 3. Example Application **Example: The Rwandan Genocide (1994)** Applying the new definition: the mass killing of Tutsis and moderate Hutus was clearly an organized campaign to destroy an ethnic and social group’s existence and identity. This fits the proposed broader definition because it includes coordinated acts (killings, propaganda, displacement) aimed at both physical and cultural destruction. ### 4. Mechanism for International Enforcement - Establish a **Permanent International Genocide Prevention Council** under the UN with no veto power. - Empower regional organizations (e.g. African Union, EU) to act jointly when genocide indicators are present. - Mandate **early-warning systems** using data on propaganda, forced population movements, and hate speech. - Allow **automatic investigation triggers** by the International Criminal Court (ICC) without requiring Security Council approval. This approach would make genocide prevention more proactive, inclusive, and less hindered by political interests. Explanation The task is an **essay-style question** asking for analysis and creative synthesis. It asks students to: 1. Examine the current UN definition of genocide and discuss its pros and cons. 2. Propose a revised definition. 3. Apply that definition to a real example of genocide. 4. Suggest an enforcement mechanism for prevention.