Genocide News Now

Genocide News Now

by Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention

News Commentary Politics Places & Travel

Season 3

Episode 20: Identity, Advocacy, and Art in Genocide Prevention with Serj Tankian

Join host Mia Baxley and special guest Serj Tankian (artist, vocalist of System of a Down) as they discuss Serj’s pride in his Armenian identity and his lifelong dedication to global justice, human rights, and the memory of the Armenian Genocide. As a descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors, Serj gives a candid look into his childhood experiences, from leaving Lebanon during the Civil War (1975-1990) and adapting to life in Los Angeles, California to learning of his family’s survival of the Genocide through his grandparents’ retellings. The podcast also takes a brief look at System of a Down’s long career in musical advocacy and the band’s range of messages, including opposition to state-sponsored war and the US prison-industrial complex as well as the release in 2020 of an extended-play (EP) of two singles that engage directly with the problem of genocide -- “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz" -- to raised funds for Artsakh. To listen to the 2020 EP, “Protect the Land / Genocidal Humanoidz,” click here: https://open.spotify.com/album/00OQIrRjQgZmacSnjK8L7M?si=jrR1ZQKfTvqP_TVMw6GOfg&utm_source=copy-link You can follow Serj on Twitter at @SerjTankian

Season 2

Genocide News Now - Episode #5 (November 17, 2022)

This episode of Genocide News Now features current news on Ukraine, Afghanistan, China, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Italy, including the recent ICC communication submitted by the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and the Regional Center for Human Rights that charges Russia with genocide for the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to Russian families, the violence against the Hazara community in Afghanistan, China’s president, Xi Jinping's reinstatement for a third term, the dangerously misleading documentary from Bosnia and Herzegovina full of genocide denial and false narratives, and finally news on Italy's first female prime minister.

Genocide News Now - Episode #4 (October 27. 2022)

This episode of Genocide News Now features current news on events regarding the violent conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the tense elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the genocide being perpetrated against the Uyghurs in China, and finally the recent conviction and sentencing of a former Rwandan prefect who was complicit in the Rwandan genocide.

Genocide News Now - Episode #3 (August 13. 2022)

Join your host, Gretchen Moore, for an update on genocide in the news. Included here is news related to Ethiopia, Ukraine, NATO, Turkey, India, Myanmar, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Genocide News Now - Episode #2 (March 23, 2022)

Join your host Lexi Poston for news updates related to genocide and its prevention. Included in this episode is the use of the word "genocide" during the war in Ukraine, the genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, the ongoing violence, civil war, and, potentially, genocide in Ethiopia, protests against "ecocide" in Brazil, and threats of genocide against Muslims in India. As always, you can find more information on these topics, as well as ways to take action, on our website: lemkininstitute.com

Season 1

Episode 19: Talking about Darfur and Genocide Prevention with Peacemaker Niemat Ahmadi

Join Elisa and Irene for a moving and inspiring interview with Darfur Genocide survivor and activist Niemat Ahmadi, Executive Director of Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG). Please visit the DWAG website to learn more about what they do and to get involved: https://www.darfurwomenaction.org/

Episode 18: Genocide Never Ends, Let's End Genocide

Join Elisa and Irene to discuss The Iraq Project's name change! We explain why we have chosen to rename ourselves and what went into choosing the name The Lemkin Institute. Along the way we cover: - The life of Raphael Lemkin, - The problem with confining the definition of genocide to the international legal system, - The emergence of new definitions of genocide within domestic and customary law, - The long-term harm caused by genocide, the contradictions of genocide prevention in Iraq, - The increasingly unequal global system, - The necessity of nation-based and grassroots prevention mechanisms, - The 11 Principles of Genocide Prevention, - Global paradigm shifts that give us hope, - Eduardo Galeano, - Avoiding the pitfalls of idealism, - Irene's PhD studies, - Iraqi elections, and - the failure of restorative justice in Namibia.

Episode 17: The Meaning of Genocide Prevention in the End Times

Irene and Elisa discuss the existential crises associated with catastrophic climate change and their impact on genocide prevention. They also go into depth on three news items: Armenia's case against Azerbaijan in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Texas's anti-abortion law (SB-8), and the recent mistreatment of Haitian refugees on the US's southern border.

Episode 16: War and Peace in Colombia with Louise Winstanley of ABColombia

Join us for a discussion of war, peacebuilding, and the problem of vested interests in Colombia and Latin America with veteran peace-maker and long-time human rights activist Louise Winstanley, the Programme and Advocacy Manager of ABColombia, a UK-based human rights organization. Louise discusses: Right-wing tactics of repression in Latin America; Obstacles to documentation of evidence of atrocity; The ongoing dire situation of human rights defenders and environmental activists in Colombia, especially since the signing of the 2016 Peace Accord; The growth of right-wing neo-paramilitary groups; The history of the FARC and the political genocide of the Patriotic Union political party after its formation in the 1980s; The peace process that resulted in the Peace Accord in 2016 and challenges to its implementation; The disappointments of land reform; Links between multinational agricultural and mining corporations and paramilitary groups; The impact of Covid-19 on Colombia; The large-scale, nationwide social protests in spring 2021 that resulted in dozens of protesters killed by Colombian security forces; Police reform and the importance of peaceful protest in peacebuilding processes; and How we all can continue working for peace in situations of apparently intractable conflict.

Episode 15: Genocide, Colonialism, and Settler Colonialism - IPG Discussion of Recent News, with Raffi Zarzatian

Irene and Elisa do a deep dive into recent news on genocide and settler colonialism with IPG technical producer Raffi Zarzatian. Among other things, they discuss how societies can truly transform themselves in the midst of long-term genocidal institutions, including Germany, Namibia, the United States, Canada, Palestine and Israel. The team uses recent news articles as stepping off points: Deutsche Welle, "The Blind Spot of Germany's Dark History," 27 May 2021, https://fb.watch/76sPxukTqq/ Reinhart Koessler and Hennig Melber, "Namibian genocide: why Germany’s bid to make amends isn’t enough," The Conversation, 1 June 2021, https://theconversation.com/namibian-genocide-why-germanys-bid-to-make-amends-isnt-enough-161820 BBC, "Mexico apologises to Mayan people for historic abuses," 4 May 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56975966 Jillian Kestler-D'Amours, "Canada: ‘This one unmarked grave is what genocide looks like," Al-Jazeera, 1 July 2021, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/1/canada-this-one-unmarked-grave-what-genocide-looks-like Mustafa Abu Sneineh, "Israel detains more Palestinian citizens as arrest campaign enters second week," Middle East Eye, 31 May 2021, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-citizens-arrest-campaign-second-week Ahmed Yousef, "Israel-Palestine: One-state solution is the path forward," Middle East Eye, 30 May 2021, https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/israel-palestine-one-state-solution-path-forward

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