Genocide: Necessary Citizen Response

Citizens around the world bear the responsibility to speak up and urge their governments to act in the face of genocide. Those who stand idly by are arguably just as guilty for allowing the atrocities to continue.

It is up to citizens on the outside for a bottom-up approach and to bring shame to mobilize the government to act.

Citizens outside of the genocides can potentially play an important role in spurring action in their governments. Samantha Power, Director of the Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University and a leading critic of the United States government’s (lack of) actions towards genocides, argues that from a political point of view there is no gain in intervening in genocides. Thus, it is up to citizens on the outside for a bottom-up approach and to bring shame to mobilize the government to act.

There are some concrete actions you can take. For example, in the United States, you can write to your congressional representative. You can also raise awareness through the media by writing to the editors of major publications or write your own editorials if you are qualified.

Sources Consulted

Sources

• Samantha. "Author of A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide talks with Robert Birnbaum," <http://identitytheory.com>