Exploring the Complexity of Genocide Recognition and Prosecution

21min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The chapter delves into the legal aspects of genocidology, highlighting the challenges in proving and prosecuting genocide, with a focus on international courts. It discusses historical examples like the Holocaust, Armenian Genocide, and the 1994 Rwandan genocide, emphasizing the significance and difficulties in defining genocide. The discourse also touches on the complexities of proving genocidal acts, the association with historical atrocities, and the ethical considerations surrounding the classification of genocide.

The world is confusing, but there are experts in everything. In our least funny episode ever, we thankfully convinced a global expert, professor, researcher, author, and Genocidologist (it’s a real word) Dr. Dirk Moses to answer the questions that we may secretly have: What exactly is genocide? How long has it been happening? Is it a war crime? Is it a crime of atrocity? Who makes up humanitarian law? What's self-defense — and what's offense? How is it litigated? Whose business is it? Why do we do this to each other? What can be done? It’s a dense, long episode with lots of asides for history and context, but it might be just what you need to give you perspective on the conditions — and cycles of trauma — that can lead to crimes of atrocities.

Follow Dr. Dirk Moses on X

Read his book, “The Problems of Genocide: Permanent Security and the Language of Transgression”

A donation went to student tuition at City College of New York