Crimes Against Humanity Research Paper
ENG 112
Overview:
In 1948, the United Nations defined genocide as “any acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.” More recently, the term also includes mass killings of groups of people for ideological or political reasons. To what extent does hate permeate in the world around us to the point that crimes against humanity happen? To what extent are we responsible? How do we move forward and create caring communities? How do we assist those who do not have a voice?
Background:
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a witness is “a person who saw or heard the crime take place or may have important information about the crime or the defendant..” while a victim is defined as “a person that has suffered direct physical, emotional, or pecuniary harm as a result of the commission of a crime.” Experiencing and living life as both a victim and a witness during the Holocaust, having survived the atrocities and harrowing trials and tribulations as a prisoner in Hitler’s concentration camps, while also losing his father in one of the camps, Elie Wiesel had a difficult time questioning his purpose in life after liberation. After intense emotional struggles and internal reflections, Wiesel came to realize his moral obligation to “bear witness” in preventing future genocides. He left his spoken and written words in the hopes that humanity will never forget the atrocities of genocide and risk repeating the horrors he endured. His greatest fear was in forgetting the atrocities from the Holocaust. He asserts “when we (Holocaust and victims of genocide) are forgotten, we cease to exist.” In essence, Wiesel worked to keep the Holocaust victims’ alive. The reason we study genocide is to keep the lives of those who perished needlessly alive and to give meaning to those lives.
In reading and learning about the Holocaust and other genocides, you have now become a “witness” to the horrific atrocities humans can inflict on others, stemming from hate. As a witness, you also have a moral obligation to those who perished. Remember that in his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Elie Wiesel emphasizes:
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Whenever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion or political views, that must-at that moment-become the center of the universe. . . There is so much to be done, there is much that can be done. One person . . . of integrity can make a difference, a difference between life and death. As long as one dissident is in prison, our freedom will not be true. As long as one child is hungry, our lives will be filled with anguish and shame. What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their voices are stilled we shall lend them ours, that while their freedom depends on ours, the quality of our freedom depends on theirs.
Consider the significance of Wiesel’s words and the impact of his thoughts to those who are struggling with the effects from genocide or crimes against humanity.
Now is the time for you to “interfere.” How can you lend your voice to those in need? How can you teach, instruct, create a light of hope in a hurting world? How can you help empower the weak? How can you make a difference?
As a witness, you have the important task of standing for the truth and helping to build kinder and gentler communities. If you remain silent, the oppressor wins. If you do not take sides, the oppressor wins. If you do not expose the atrocities, the oppressor wins. Now, take a stand for a “community” that needs your voice, your help, your thoughts, your solutions, your pen. Whether it is a genocide from the past, a recent one, or one that is currently taking place, lend your emphatic voice and incite change. What crimes do you witness? What lessons have you learned? What solutions do you have?
Remember, the greater danger lies in learning and in doing nothing, so start doing something now.
Rhetorical Situation:
Purpose: to communicate the urgent need for change in the world, primarily in the unfair and unjust treatment of others whether it is due to race, religion, ethnicity, or some other social divide
Audience: Focus your attention on a specific audience. Who would be most interested in your ideas? Why? Psychology Professor, Humanities Professor, Political Science Major, Senator, Representative . . .
Logic: What information does your audience need in order to accept/agree with your ideas? What types of information will resonate with your selected audience the most? Why? You will weave primary and secondary sources (peer-reviewed or published nonfiction texts) to answer your research question.
Emotional: How is the research and commentary you are presenting, moving your audeince to bring about a change in society and thinking about the impact of your research topic? How does your research paper topic/question relate to and resonate with those around you? How are you moving your audience to take action?
Tone: formal, academic, sophisticated
Credibility: How are you, a college freshman, establishing your credibility? Consider your mixture of primary sources and peer-reviewed sources along with your reasoning and commentary.
Step 1: Select a topic you are most interested in studying. Is there a specific group who have been impacted by genocide or a crime against humanity that needs your voice? Crimes against humanity are defined as:
Mass killings or Extermination
Enslavement
Deportation or forcible transfer of population
Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law
Torture or Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender
Enforced disappearance of persons
Crime of apartheid
Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health
Step 2: Write a research paper question around a topic you are in interested in researching. What do you want to learn? Remember you are writing a multi-paged paper, so make sure that your question contains the correct scope: not too specific nor too broad. You must answer your question in 5-7 pages of text (does not include title page, abstract page, nor Reference page).
Step 3: Research using the database and write an Annotated Bibliography.
6 sources with annotations. Follow APA guidelines for references. Include a 200-word summary of each source and explain what makes the source credible/reliable and explain HOW/WHY you plan on using the source to answer your research question and support your thesis statement. You should have 2 Primary sources. Secondary sources MUST be peer reviewed. You should have at least 4 SECONDARY, Peer Reviewed SOURCES!
Annotations MUST include hanging tabs and placed in alphabetical order
Primary sources (immediate, first-hand accounts, testimonies): audio recording, video recordings, films, journals, letters, diaries, speeches, oral histories
Secondary sources (at least 4): scholarly articles, books on genocide, dissertations)
Step 4: Create a nuanced, sophisticated, argumentative (persuasive) thesis statement.
Step 5: Submit an outline showing how you will support your thesis statement (show a line of reasoning-bullet points only). Highlight your thesis statement and your transitions + topic sentences. I will NOT grade paragraphs–here is a reference for you to follow, but you should tailor your outline to suit your needs and answer your research question, thoroughly, analytically, and academically.
Basic Outline: (you must use all of 6 of your sources from your Annotated Bib. You MAY NOT ADD TO THE LIST-be carefully analytical and discriminate with your research. Take your time and as you summarize, think about why you want to include the research, how it will help to answer your solutions and thoughts to your question, and where you see yourself electing to reference the source.) Basic outline below. The outline is a reflection of your thinking process. Do NOT add sentences. You may have the full thesis, but that is it. The rest of the outline is a bullet point outline. I will NOT grade sentence outlines, and those submissions will receive a ZERO with NO opportunity to turn in another outline. I will be primarily focusing on your thesis and topic sentences and examining the logical flow of your argument.
Introduction
“Invitation”
Necessary Context for paper
Thesis statement (begin with subordinating conjunction: should be open because of length of paper)
Transition + Topic Sentence (minor claim–you MUST prove)
Reasoning (why do you believe topic sentence to be true)
Example(s)
Explanation(s)
Commentary (how does each example help prove your MINI CLAIM?)
Reflection on body paragraph and larger tie-in to the THESIS
Add as many body paragraphs as you need to support your thesis statement (MAIN CLAIM), keeping in mind the rhetorical situation and the line of reasoning.
III. Conclusion
a. Big Ideas
b. What is next? Call to action?
IV. Works Cited (6 full citations listed on a separate page, with hanging tabs)
Step 7: Write an 5-7 page, APA-style paper, with at least 6 references (not including title page, abstract page, and References) rough draft and edit and revise (submit on Assignment Portal to see your Turnitin % and recommendations for revision/editing. In addition, I recommend submitting your paper for review at the writing center).
Step 8: Finalize and submit your 5-7 page paper and include a References page. Submit one last time on Turnitin and PRINT a hard copy. YOU MUST SUBMIT BOTH ELECTRONICALLY AND PHYSICALLY. I will NOT grade papers that are not presented to me in hard copy. If you plan on being absent, it is YOUR responsibility to plan accordingly.
