A "Black Swan Event" is when the unexpected occurs, causing a huge mindshift and change in how the world works. People never imagined that Black Swans existed, until the discovery of the first Black Swan... (as per book "The Black Swan", by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, 2007, that sold over 3 million copies)

Is a perception change the next Black Swan Event? Consider that by changing perception we might change the world. Look at everyday things from different angles. Find beauty in the unexpected...
Change our thinking, change our actions, change our world!

See that all people are part of God's puzzle and have something to give. Black swans do exist. The ugly duckling was actually a swan who needed to discover himself and where he fitted and be who he was meant to be. To the last, the lost and the least, you are beautiful as you are.
May all who visit this page feel God's touch and experience His blessing...

Saturday 26 January 2013

The Worrying Steps in the Slippery Slope Towards Genocide

I write about genocide here to make people aware of how easily discrimination mindsets can form, so that we may be mindful of the warning signs to look out for in the societies we live in, to ensure this devastating consequence of a people divided never happens again.

Genocide happens still in this modern world we live in. The minority group in Rwanda, Tutsis, had previously held power for centuries before being overthrown by Hutus in a rebellion between 1959-1962, and the two groups then lived relatively peacefully together under the new Hutu led government. Genocide of Tutsis (1) occurred in Rwanda in 1994 when 500,000 - 1,000,000 people were killed over a period of 100 days. Ironically, after the genocide occurred, Tutsis regained power, doing away with previous peace accords. This is a similar scenario to that which may be building in South Africa, as, during apartheid, the minority group of white people held power, which was then peacefully handed over to the entire nation in 1994, and now Genocide Watch warns that South Africa is currently at stage 6 of genocide towards white people, which is the last stage before mass extermination happens, and I pray this will never occur there, in the land that gave me birth. It is essential for all types of people to learn to live together, because one can clearly see the consequences when we do not!

According to Genocide Watch's 8 Stage Model, the first step along the road of discrimination that may lead towards genocide is classification. We need to classify, so we can name and know, but classification is usually taken further into us and them mindsets. When it begins to include symbolisation, then stage two of the process is reached. For example, a symbol may be distinct physical features in societies where people look markedly different from each other, or where members of a certain group are marked with a symbol forcefully or willingly, like carrying a different emblem or flag to that embraced by the rest of the country.

Classification and symbolisation on their own are not reasons for concern, as people may be proud of their unique culture and heritage as reflected by these stages, but when combined with dehumanisation, the stage is set for possible genocide. Dehumanisation is when a group may start to look upon another group of people with fear and loathing, seeing them as different and wrong, as not quite human and somehow inferior, or perhaps even as hateful domineering people. The scene is now building for further discrimination and hatred and this may lead towards genocide if further steps are allowed to occur.


Organisation happens next, which may be militant and the first sporadic victims of genocide are seen, and then polarisation occurs, where tit for tat revenge killings occur on a mass scale, and often the first identified victims here are moderate people from the group carrying out genocide, as they would call for further killings to be avoided. Preparation will then occur, which is said to be stage six, and includes identification, for example, where victims of genocide are named on lists and are all known, and may also include drastic measures like building extermination camps, and could also include the eradication of the targeted group's language or cultural heritage. And then extermination occurs, or genocide, which is stage seven.

The last stage Genocide Watch mentions is denial and this happens throughout the cycle. When the group being targeted for genocide cries out against the spiral of violence, they are told they are imagining it and there is no targeting against them. Outside people told about the genocide or approached for help may even deny that genocide is happening, or some may even feel it is deserved as a consequence of the past. Perhaps people simply cannot believe that a group would knowingly try to exterminate another group on a mass scale?

What is a hallmark of very racially divided societies? Would it surprise you to know that one of the common warning signs at the initial classification stage is that there are no shades of grey? For example, if two types of different people get married and have a baby, and if society labels the baby as either one or the other race, and not as mixed, that may be a possible sign for concern? Genocide Watch warns to look out for this type of labelling as it might be a pointer to future polarisation. Does this type of labelling happen in the country in which you live? Why must a baby, for example, be seen as either black or white if the baby has parents of both races, why not mixed, as the culture and heritage of both parents are part of that baby's make up? Of course this may be a cultural feature of a country and there is nothing wrong with this as long as it is done for good reasons, and not bad. The baby of a mixed marriage may later choose the culture he or she feels most comfortable with when growing up too, but I believe that both nationalities should be honoured as part of the person's birthright, and there is nothing to be ashamed of in the least.

Could the Jewish Holocaust have been avoided if people had seen the above signs developing and had reacted differently? The heartening fact is that Genocide Watch says that at each stage leading down the slippery slope towards genocide, counter measures can be put into place to avoid the devastating consequences, and to ensure the particular society is united as one people, one nation, with a common national identity. This may be as simple as all people stating they are citizens of that particular wonderful nation, whatever the name of the nation may be, or simply for each person to see every other person as a unique individual with real feelings and with hopes and dreams and purpose and potential.

We are all in this world together, through both good times and bad, and together we make the world stronger. Let's stop hating and hurting each other and try always to see the person and not the stereotype.

"Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." (Matthew 12:25 WEB) 


Related links:


The stages of genocide used with the permission of Genocide Watch:  http://www.genocidewatch.org/

(1) References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide

I haven't looked at this website much myself yet, and I assume there may be disturbing material, so please be aware of this if you open the link: Genocide Archive of Rwanda

Seeing pictures of the following women, victims of the Holocaust, made me cry, especially where the one young woman originally from America who said how much she had loved Germany, and their only fault was being born and growing up under a different culture, a culture that could be changed at will if they had decided to change--may their souls rest in peace: Stieve's List: The lost victims of Nazi experiments

No comments:

Post a Comment