The Rwandan Genocide...Darkness in the history

The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda's Tutsis and Hutu political moderates by Hutus under the Hutu Power ideology. The genocide had its roots in the Hutu-Tutsi ethnic divide and related sporadic violence. Over the course of approximately 100 days, from the assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana on 6 April up until mid July, at least 500,000 people were killed. Most estimates indicate a death toll between 800,000 and 1,000,000. Below are a few pictures showing the consequences of this Genocide..

A Social War in the Making...What does Genocide mean?

Genocide, in simple words, is any act which endangers a group of people or puts their existence in jeopardy. As per scholars, the most famous definition of Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group. The term "genocide" was coined by Raphael Lemkin (1900–1959). Generally speaking, genocide does not necessarily mean the immediate destruction of a nation, except when accomplished by mass killings of all members of a nation. It is intended rather to signify a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves. The objectives of such a plan would be the disintegration of the political and social institutions, of culture, language, national feelings, religion, and the economic existence of national groups, and the destruction of the personal security, liberty, health, dignity, and even the lives of the individuals belonging to such groups.

What is a Holocaust and When Did They Occur?

Read more: "What is a Holocaust and When Did They Occur? The Genocides of History that Have Been Forgotten"

http://militaryhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_a_holocaust_and_when_did_they_occur#ixzz0ApIJML1g

Sand and Sorrow…The War in Darfur

The War in Darfur is a conflict that is in the Darfur region of western Sudan. It started on 23rd February, 2003 and is continuing to date. The combination of decades of drought, desertification, and overpopulation are among the causes of the Darfur conflict. It is a humanitarian catastrophe and the status is credited to the start of the Civil war in Chad (2005-present) and the Central African Republican Bush War.
After the British defeat in 1916, Darfur was incorporated into Sudan. Since 2003 the region has been scene of fighting, with Sudanese government forces and their allied Arab militias (the janjaweed) battling non-Arab rebels linked to an opposition party, but the conflict has gradually widened to include fighting between allied groups on both sides, as both rebels and militias have splintered. Warfare also has spilled over into Chad, and Chadian rebels have based themselves in parts of Darfur. An estimated 50,000 persons have died in the fighting, and another 150,000 have died from disease, hunger, and other causes, and the government and janjaweed have been accused by some of genocide. Some 2.2 million people have been made refugees, and attempts to establish a cease-fire have produced only temporary results. An African Union (AU) peacekeeping force was established in the region beginning in Aug., 2004; the force, which officially became a joint UN-AU operation in Dec., 2007, has not been effective.
Below are a few pictures showing the consequences of this Genocide..

The Genocide Democrats - A pictorial glance… ***(parental guidance is advised)

“A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide” is a must-read!

Only recently I read a Book under the name of "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide” written by Samantha Power, a Professor of Human Rights Practice at Harvard. This book explores America's understanding of, response to, and inaction on genocides in the 20th century from the Armenian genocide to the "ethnic cleansings" of the Kosovo War. The Writer observes that American policymakers have been consistently reluctant to condemn mass atrocities as genocide or take responsibility for leading an international military intervention. She argues that without significant pressure from the American public, policymakers avoid the term "genocide" altogether. Instead, they appeal to the priority of national interests or argue (without merit, she contends) that a U.S. response would be futile and accelerate violence as a justification for inaction.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone interested in analyzing the almighty America`s role in Modern Day Genocides!

Injustice

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere...whatever affects one directly, affects others indirectly.

Amidst Passiveness and Indifference

From religious fanatacism to terrorism, from judiciary's independence, to democracy... what is Pakistani society ready for? What is the need of the hour amongst so many issues?

Pakistan today is facing a number of problems which have come into the limelight all too soon. Many conspiracy theories or fallacies, often contradictory, have come into view. The recent terrorist attacks ranging from the attack on the Sri Lankan team, Swat's evolution and the attack on Taj Oberoi in Mumbai, India, all point in one direction. Hence, Pakistan today is facing the instability it has itself breeded for years. Its role in America's War against terror has warn the fruit of terrorism for the country. Moreover, the game of power being played by almost all the actors on the political front has left little room for development-economic, social, political.

What is needed today is perhaps not democracy, liberalization and privatiziation as the Washington Consensus Post very conveniently suggests. A third world country with an illiterate population of more than 50 percent, an exporting country with a competitive edge in almost no commodity is PERHAPS not ready for it.

For the realization of the solution, it is important that the true problem is identified. The problem lies not with the masses but with the educated elite of teh country. They are the most passive part of Pakistan for they have an opinion about everything but in reality put none of their views into practice. Pakistan needs more than just the LIP SERVICING of these ARM-CHAIR ANALYST. The true culprits, in my opinion, are not dictators or democrats or foreign actors but the elite of this country who have the previlige or luxuy of being a problem and yet be miles away from the consequences of the problem.